US spends $1 billion to deal with egg crisis

The government will spend $500 million to strengthen biosecurity measures on poultry farms, $400 million in financial assistance to affected farmers and $100 million on avian influenza vaccine research, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

In the market, egg prices in the US have recorded a record high, averaging $8.11 per box of 12 eggs on February 26, up 53% compared to the same period in 2024. The reason is that the severe bird flu epidemic has reduced the number of egg-laying hens.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, which began in 2022 and has since forced farmers to cull an estimated 166 million laying hens over the past three years, has worsened since early 2025, with an estimated 18.8 million laying hens culled in January – the highest number in a single month since the outbreak began.

Egg prices are sky-high and not simply a matter of inflation, Rollins said, and she expects consumers to be hit harder in the future. According to the February Food Price Forecast, egg prices could rise 41.1% by 2025, with a range of 15% to 74.9%.

The price hikes are having a widespread impact on the food industry. Waffle House has imposed a 50-cent surcharge on eggs, while retailers like Costco and Trader Joe’s have begun limiting the number of eggs customers can buy. Consumers in high-cost areas like New York and California are facing higher egg prices, with some charging $9 or more per carton.

In this context, Türkiye is emerging as a major supplier of eggs to the US. The Turkish Egg Producers Association announced plans to export 420 million eggs to the US this year, up nearly sixfold from 71 million in 2024.