In the US, bird flu rose has launched egg prices by 150%. Shortnesses are expected to last for at least a few more months. Americans love eggs – especially at their breakfast. That is why the launch of the price of eggs in the US in recent months has caused a strong … social upheaval.

With the exacerbation of bird flu and the subsequent lack of eggs, in recent weeks a dozen has reached over $ 10 – an increase of 159% compared to product price a year ago – and several stores even set limits on how many eggs can buy.

Since the beginning of 2022 and the exacerbation of the H5N1 bird executives, more than 166 million wild and domestic birds have been killed. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in the past few days that more than 30 million hens have been killed since the beginning of this year – ie 12.3% of birds living in cages in the US and about 8% of free -range chickens.

The US authorities have turned to various European states seeking assistance in dealing with shortages – and despite the escalating trade war with the EU and the Trump government. In addition, in the past, Washington had imposed restrictions on egg imports by most European states.

Europe will hardly cover shortages in the US

For the past three years, Europe has also been confronted with a rise of bird flu, which caused shortages across the continent – the biggest problems occurred in Poland, Hungary and France, and strict measures had to be taken in Portugal and the United Kingdom. As a result, most European countries say they have limited eggs.

As far as Germany is concerned, the country has secured the demand for eggs ahead of the Easter season and has an additional export stock. Experts, however, prevent consumers from making mass preventive egg markets under the concern of deficiencies and instead continue to consume eggs at normal rates in order to avoid any problems with offer.

At the same time, extracting eggs from Europe to the US is a difficult task and due to logistical problems that are inevitable to transatlantic exports of fragile goods. And at the same time the air transport costs a lot, while the export by sea, on the other hand, is overly time -consuming.

Who have extra egg stock?

Last month, Reuters reported that Turkey was going to increase the exports of eggs to the US, following an agreement with Washington to export an additional 15,000 tonnes of eggs.

According to Ibrahim Apon, the president of the central Greek egg producer union, by July, the country is going to supply about 240 million eggs – a quantity of sixfold compared to the exports of the whole year. In return, Turkey will receive about $ 26 million.

As Bloomberg said in a recent report, the US is planning to issue new egg export licenses from the Netherlands – which is the country with the world’s largest egg exports.

When will the shortcomings end?

After a noticeable reduction in demand and improve supply, however, egg prices in the US declined somewhat in February.

However, it will take some time for the pressure to relax in prices reaches the end consumers – and at the same time there is still a risk of the risk of new bird flu, and on the other hand for a new increase in demand.

The replacement of the chicks that were killed takes about four to five months. And even when the new hens reach the age they can produce eggs, their quantities will initially be limited.

Poultry farms are also needed enough time to rearing new chickens, as there are strict hygiene and biochemical regulations – which entails an even longer time to rejuvenate shortages. They also add the hesitation of many producers to rearing more birds, as a result of the general concern about a new exacerbation of bird flu.

Thus, it is more likely that egg prices will remain high for a long time even that shortages will rather insist on the end of the year.

Curated by: George Passas