Egg prices could be climbing before Easter weekend

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As we inch into April, shoppers may see an uptick in egg prices because of Easter weekend, supply chain issues and inflation.

At Wheatsville Co-op, marketing directing Nick Conn says their eggs come from local farmers.

"Smithville, Elgin, Brenham, these are all places that we get our eggs,” he said.

According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts, egg prices typically trend upward during this time of year.

"We do have this little bump in April,” TAMU AgriLife Extension economist David Anderson said. “With the demand for Easter eggs and everything else."

Yet Wheatsville’s stock remains steady.

"The last time that we had an increase in egg prices was during the pandemic,” Conn said. “That's because feed was harder to find and supply change issues."

The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture retail egg price report showed a dozen large Grade A eggs reached $2.01 a dozen compared to $1.60 per dozen last year, a 25.5% increase.

"Higher cost of producing those eggs in terms of feed,” Anderson explained. “Higher cost for trucking and shipping, higher cost for everything put into providing it at the grocery store."

Another potential threat to long-term egg prices could be the ongoing spread of a highly pathogenic avian flu that has been found in more than a dozen states from Maryland to South Dakota.

The USDA is reporting that more than a million laying hens, have been euthanized to control the spread.

"It has the potential if bad enough to really cut our supplies and lead to some higher prices in the future,” Anderson concluded.

In response to high prices, Anderson believes that we should soon see an increase in production.

Poultry specialists at Texas A&M also say that inflated costs for feed components such as soybeans and corn could also contribute to keeping prices higher.