High egg prices show no signs of cracking
While Butler County shoppers scrambled to prepare for the holiday weekend, a nationwide egg shortage may have affected how some residents put together their holiday meals.
According to Consumer Price Index data, the cost of eggs has increased by nearly 50% from this time last year.
Local grocery store employees, farmers and bakers suggest it might take months for egg production to return to normal rates.
“I would say we are at a record high right now,” said Eric Shiever, vice president at the Butler Farm Market. “It’s probably up 50% since the low over the summer. My jumbo eggs are $7.69 a dozen right now, which is the highest egg prices here.”
Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza have so far this year led to the deaths of about 58 million birds, which includes about 10 million chickens, the deadliest outbreak in U.S. history, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Some entire flocks of poultry are killed after one infection is confirmed in order to attempt to limit the fast spread of the illness.
“The bird flu in instances in people’s flock on big farms is what I think is affecting the prices,” Shiever said.
Mike Bestwick, co-owner of Pennie's Bake Shop & Espresso Bar in Butler, said that according to his last invoice, his business is paying $5.38 for a dozen of eggs, which he uses a lot.
“The majority of them do,” Bestwick said. “Some take a disgusting amount of eggs. Obviously, eggs prices have done nothing but soar this year. We do about 120 dozen a week.”
That means Bestwick is paying nearly $650 a week just for eggs, which is a single step in making the pastries they produce.
“The eggs are just one part of it, though,” Bestwick said. “Butter, milk and other supplies have gone up 50 to 80%. We definitely have had to raise our prices because of it.”
According to Nick Zorbas, a Save A Lot store manager in Butler, the price of the eggs his store sells has risen from about $4 for an 18 pack of eggs, to about $7.
“I have only one brand of eggs which are all supplied by Good Nature,” Zorbas said. “I don’t have anything to compare them to, to be honest.”
“People still buy eggs whether they are going up or not. They still complain about it, but they still buy them. I haven’t changed my stock levels much, just a little bit for the holidays, which is usual.”
Grocery prices have continued to increase this year due in part to higher costs of labor, ingredients and logistics.
“We are not having supply issues, just price issues,” Shiever said. “I think the feed inputs are up, such as commodity prices on corn and grain. Chicken feed is much more expensive now than it was last year.”
Kevin Jarosinski, of Jarosinski Farm in Sarver, is a first generation poultry farmer with his wife, Jenna, and he said his farm is home to about 300 laying hens.
Jarosinski explained the price of his chicken feed — made of corn, wheat and soybean meal — has gone up about $200 a ton compared to this time last year, which right now is costing him about $515 a ton.
“We had to raise prices for eggs, but there is a fine line between a farmer and a good steward,” Jarosinski said. “Yes, we had to raise prices, but there is more to farming than making money. It’s about feeding people and the community. If we wanted to make money, we wouldn’t have chosen farming.”
Jarosinski mentioned also that the price of egg cartons has gone up from about 25 cents to about 80 cents since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may also affect the price of eggs.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s recent monthly chicken and egg report, egg production totaled 657.7 million in Pennsylvania during November 2022, which was down 9% from last year.
While cases of HPAI at large farms have contributed to low production, cold weather and not enough sunlight also plays a role, according to Jarosinski.
“This time of year is very difficult,” Jarosinski said. “For example, this morning it was so cold and chickens need 14-hours of daylight to lay eggs. If they don’t get that, they cut back on production. Everything is based around the sun.”
Jarosinski said his farm has taken many steps towards preventing HPAI and has not heard of any cases of it in other local farms.
He is determined to make it through any challenges that might be thrown his way.
“The Lord definitely puts his hand upon our farm,” Jarosinski said. “We got through the COVID-19 pandemic, got through two or three bird flus; it’s just grit. You got to just put your head down and just keep working.”
