Egg prices continue to rise in Wisconsin and across US

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - If you’ve been grocery shopping recently, you’ve probably noticed you’re paying more at check out. It’s especially true for eggs.

A year ago, the average price of eggs in the United States was $1.33. Today, the average price has more than tripled, sitting at $4.33. That’s according to the food market data company, Urner Barry.

“The one key thing that really has hurt the egg laying industry has been avian flu,” president and CEO of Wisconsin Grocers Association Brandon Scholz said.

Avian flu is disease that’s impacting chicken populations in Wisconsin and across the nation. In 2022, nearly 58 million birds in the U.S. died from the disease according to the Department of Agriculture. Three million of those deaths were in the Badger State.

“It is not a Wisconsin problem. It’s not even a Midwestern problem,” Scholz said. “It’s a problem across the country.”

Nadia Alber, co-owner of Ducks in a Row Family Farm, said it’s uncertain when the prices will start to come back down.

“I don’t think there’s really any over easy solution to this problem and there’s no real sunny side up in the near future because we just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Alber said.

Another concern has been supply chain issues, particularly with worker shortages. That mixed with the avian flu equates to a murky future in the egg industry.

“We have to have workers that want to be in our industry,” Scholz said. “Once that all happens, you’ll start to see prices come down, but I couldn’t tell you if that’s going to be two months or eight months or a year.”

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