USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins recently suggested that Americans struggling to afford rising egg prices should buy chickens themselves. However, experts say this is an impractical solution. Rollins made the comment during a Fox News appearance to discuss rising consumer costs.
Egg prices have been increasing since 2022, mainly due to the culling of millions of chickens to prevent the spread of avian flu. The administration plans to spend $1.5 billion on biosecurity measures and research possible vaccines to address the issue. However, these actions do not directly lower consumer prices.
Rollins predicts that egg prices will stabilize within the next three to six months. In contrast, Trump’s promise to lower prices was met with skepticism during his 2024 campaign. After taking office, Trump’s administration actually saw a significant increase in egg prices, now around $8.16 per dozen.
Many experts and individuals have criticized Rollins’ suggestion, saying it is not a viable solution due to the high costs associated with raising chickens. For example, Daniel Laurison, a sociologist professor at Swarthmore College, noted that backyard chicken-keeping is not cheap. Journalist Robyn Pennacchia also panned the idea, citing estimates of $750 for the first egg from a backyard coop.
In fact, an analysis found that eggs would have to cost around $10 per dozen for three years before any backyard coop with eight hens could pay for itself.
Source: https://truthout.org/articles/trump-official-tells-americans-to-buy-chickens-to-deal-with-egg-pricing-crisis