DENVER — This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled a $1 billion plan to curb the nation's bird flu outbreak to try to lower egg prices.
According to the USDA, the average price of a dozen of eggs in Colorado right now is $8.48. Those costs are quickly adding up for many, including restaurant owners.
When Wendell's Diner first opened in Denver in 2020, owner Roy Benoit didn't have to shell out much for eggs.
“[The] first case of eggs I bought here cost me $13,” said Benoit. “The cases that I bought this week were $133 a piece."
Relief could eventually be on the way.
This week, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a five-pronged approach to curb bird flu and lower egg prices, including a $500 million investment in biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research and development.
"It's just going to take us a little bit of time, I would say, a couple months, and hopefully we start seeing the shelves repopulated. Hopefully, the shelves are repopulated sooner, but the cost comes down very quickly," said Rollins.
The USDA's Food Price Outlook predicts egg prices will continue to surge in 2025.
Approximately 18.8 million commercial egg layers were affected by the avian flu in January, according to the USDA. Bill Scebbi, executive director of the Colorado Egg Producers, said Colorado has really taken a hit from the disease.
“I think we're at about 60% production,” said Scebbi.
Part of the USDA's five-point plan addresses unnecessary regulatory burdens, specifically using California’s cage-free laws as an example. A similar law went into effect in Colorado this year.
“We had a bill this year that was out there to repeal it, and the legislators decided that we better not do that. They want to stand by it. Our farm stood by the law. [The egg producers] retrofitted their farms. They've been producing. We just got to get them populated,” said Scebbi.
Regardless, Scebbi told Denver7 the USDA’s plan is giving egg producers in the state some hope.
“We can't push Mother Nature any faster than what's going on right now. So we're very excited about the announcements from the federal government. We're very excited about the outcomes that it may bring because now we see something being done,” said Scebbi.
Read the USDA’s strategy here.
- From eggs to beef to coffee, Coloradans in every corner of our state are paying more for the staples in their pantry. On this episode of Real Talk from Denver7 and CPR News, we discuss how the rising cost of food is affecting all of us. Hear what local egg producers and farmers say is contributing to the increase in prices and how they view the increase in costs. Plus, what you can do to keep eating healthy without breaking the bank, in the video player below.
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