Wholesale Egg Prices Plunge 93% Below 60 Cents a Dozen as 15% Oversupply Hurts Farmers
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 20
Wholesale Egg Prices Plunge 93% Below 60 Cents a Dozen as 15% Oversupply Hurts Farmers
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 20
Summary
Wholesale egg prices have collapsed to below 60 cents a dozen from more than $8 last year, leaving many farmers selling eggs for less than their production costs.
A 12% to 15% oversupply drove the drop after producers expanded flocks and capacity, either to guard against another bird-flu shock or to profit from last year's price spike.
Stiebrs Farms in Washington, a 500,000-hen family operation, said demand calls that surged during the shortage have dried up as the market swung from scarcity to glut.
The reversal underscores how quickly the egg market can whipsaw producers: bird flu previously slashed laying-hen numbers, but the industry's response has now deepened financial pressure on farms.