The soaring price of eggs has sparked concern among consumers and the agriculture industry, with many pointing fingers at politicians for not taking adequate action to curb the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus responsible for the deaths of over 40 million egg-laying birds last year.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint a single politician or solution to the crisis, agricultural experts say that Washington policymakers can take steps to help mitigate the spread of the virus and bring down prices. The US Department of Agriculture reports that egg prices rose 14% from November to December alone, with projections for another 20% increase this year.
Industry leaders are calling for a comprehensive response to stop the spread of the virus and stabilize prices. However, potential solutions are contentious and expensive, and there’s no broad agreement on how to proceed.
The blame game has been played out by politicians, with some Democrats criticizing President Donald Trump’s agenda for not addressing egg prices, while others have pointed to the Biden administration’s actions, such as directing the mass killing of chickens, as a contributing factor.
However, experts say that the virus is highly contagious and cannot be solely blamed on any one administration. The US requires culling entire flocks to stop the spread of the virus, which has been detected in both the Biden and Trump administrations.
Farmers are facing significant challenges due to the virus, with some estimating losses of over $1 million. To truly combat the virus, experts say that vaccination of commercial flocks is necessary, but this poses trade implications for countries importing US poultry products.
The issue extends beyond just egg prices, affecting chicken meat and other widely consumed products in the United States. Biosecurity measures have been implemented on farms since 2015, but enforcement has been inconsistent, allowing the virus to spread.
Increased federal funding into surveillance and research is seen as crucial to detecting and preventing further outbreaks of the virus. The US has already detected the virus in dairy cattle and humans, with severe infections reported in some cases.
As the crisis continues to unfold, experts emphasize the need for a unified response from policymakers and the industry to address the root causes of the problem and find effective solutions to stabilize prices and prevent future outbreaks.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/10/business/egg-prices-trump-biden-solutions/index.html