Although egg prices continued to soar in February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that relief could be on the horizon. 

According to the Consumer Price Index for February, the average cost for a dozen eggs rose to a record high of $5.90, which was up from the previous record of $4.95 set in January. Dating back to the fall of 2024, U.S. farmers have been forced to cull millions of egg-laying hens as avian flu has torn through flocks. As a result, the USDA predicts that egg prices will have risen by 41% by the end of the year, more than double its previous projection of 20%. 

That being so, the USDA's egg market overview published on March 7 says that the spread of the disease has actually started to slow, with no significant outbreaks having been detected in nearly two weeks. Average wholesale prices have dropped by nearly 22% over that same period as well. 

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"This respite has provided an opportunity for production to make progress in reducing recent shell egg shortages," the USDA's overview reads. "As shell eggs are becoming more available, the sense of urgency to cover supply needs has eased."

With Easter occurring three weeks later than it did in 2024, the added time until the surge in demand that typically accompanies the holiday has also provided a critical buffer period for prices to reach a "more acceptable level," the USDA notes. As we get closer to that date, though, the American Egg Board (AEB) warns that there could be a "second, temporary increase in prices," and that it could still be months before rates are fully stabilized.

In the meantime, the AEB estimates that the U.S. has imported more than 827,000 dozen eggs from Mexico and Turkey since January to bridge the gap in supplies. The Trump administration also rolled out a plan in late February to invest $1 billion in bird flu response efforts, half of which will go toward boosting biosecurity measures on farms. Another $400 million will go to farmers with flocks impacted by the disease, while the remaining $100 million will go to research on vaccines and therapeutics for chickens.