A lovely Sunday here in the Deep South….nice temps and semi-clear skies…today I write about a subject that effects most of us almost daily.
That would be the price of eggs….it seems we cannot go one day without some news news flash on the prices and availability…..and then a usual FYI….
I remember during the 2024 campaigns the GOP made hay about the high prices of groceries under the Biden administration and the promise that something would be done if the GOP were given the chance to help their fellow Americans.
As usual it was all lies but that is their MO….lie their asses off then turn their back on any promises made….(and you people still vote for these half human assholes)….but let’s get back to it os Biden’s fault thing….
During the previous American presidential campaign cycle, much was made (by voters and politicians alike) about the high increase in grocery prices under the Biden administration, especially egg prices. In the last two months of former President Joe Biden’s presidency alone, egg prices rose 14% alone, according to CNN. Further, Donald Trump campaigned on bringing down grocery prices “starting on day one.”
Instead of that happening, though, Forbes reported that inflation was higher than expected in January 2025 (in which President Trump was in office for nearly two weeks) at 3% rather than 2.8% and that egg prices increased again by a staggering 15%. Trump, perhaps unsurprisingly, responded to these numbers by posting “BIDEN INFLATION UP” on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
The egg price crisis seems to be far more indebted to the virulent avian flu that is infecting America (and killed over 40 million egg-laying birds in 2024).
Regarding Leavitt’s accusations of the Biden administration “mass killing” 100 million chickens — it was actually the USDA, which required the destruction of whole flocks of chickens to stop the avian flu once it was detected, leading to the deaths of 130 million birds since 2022. However, this USDA policy has not changed during the Trump administration and the same culling that Leavitt decried in her statement against Biden continues with President Trump.
As a result of the avian flu rendering over 130 million egg-laying birds as no longer viable, egg prices have soared astronomically. Further, until biosecurity increases and a vaccine is introduced to entire commercial egg-producing flocks, it is likely that the avian flu crisis (and its resultant increased prices) will continue.
Did you know that at today’s prices gram for gram eggs are more expensive the beef?
Every day seems to bring a new reminder that egg prices keep rising. The latest is from Axios, which reports that eggs are now more expensive than beef by one metric for the first time. The outlet analyzed nearly 500 months of Consumer Price Index data going back to 1984 and found that January brought a milestone—the cost per gram of protein for a dozen eggs eclipsed that of a pound of ground beef for the first time. The eggs are now running about a half cent more expensive.
Consumers shouldn’t expect relief anytime soon. The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in US cities reached a record-high $4.95 in January, more than double the price of $2.04 not even two years ago, reports the AP. And the Department of Agriculture has warned that prices are likely to rise another 20% this year. What’s more, prices typically spike around Easter, which is April 20 this year.
There are those that are calling for an investigation into the high prices….but with this do-nothing group in charge it will be a fart in a hurricane.
An advocacy group dedicated to fighting corporate agriculture monopolies on Wednesday urged federal antitrust enforcers to take action against egg producers that the group accuses of taking advantage of the bird flu crisis in order to raise prices, inflate their profits, and consolidate their market power.
What’s more, the slow recovery of “flock size”—the total number of egg-laying hens—”despite historically high prices, further suggests coordinated efforts to restrict supply and sustain inflated prices” that warrants investigation, according to a letter sent by Farm Action president Angela Huffman to Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson and Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi, who has been tapped to temporarily lead the DOJ antitrust division.
The letter, which invokes the behavior of “dominant egg producers,” largely provides data on one company, Cal-Maine Foods, the biggest producer and marketer of shell eggs in the country.
Separately, Democratic voices are urging the Trump administration to take action around corporate conduct as it relates to food prices. FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, a Biden appointee, has also urged Ferguson to open an investigation into egg production and marketing practices—pointing to a 2023 request from Farm Action to the FTC to investigate potential antitrust violations in the egg industry.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/egg-prices-ftc-doj-farm-action
Where are the Democrats?
All they are capable of doing is talking about the problem and offer NO solutions.
Hang on my friends it may get a lot worse.
While we await that other shoe to drop here is a little FYI for alt egg….
If you’re not among those panic-buying eggs, you can easily find suitable egg substitutes for baking, whether due to allergy concerns, scarcity or you’re simply priced out. Another silver lining: Most of the replacements are ingredients you probably already have on hand, and are likely more affordable than eggs.
Baking is a delicate web of ingredients — removing one would be like recklessly pulling out the lynchpin in a Jenga tower — and eggs are incredibly important for a number of reasons. An egg, in particular, has several roles that are crucial to a recipe’s success. It adds richness and moisture, like in a brioche. It can serve to thicken and emulsify, as in a cheesecake. The oven heats up the egg’s protein, creating structure for cakes, muffins and bars. When beaten, eggs provide leavening fluff — case in point: a soufflé. If you’ve ever forgotten to add eggs to a cake batter, then you know all too well the end result is a dense, structureless puck that crumbles faster than a house of cards. So if you don’t or can’t use egg, you definitely need a substitute.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/a63704882/best-egg-substitutes-for-baking/
That does it for this Sunday….enjoy your day and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”