“So my family eats a ton of eggs, we love that they are low-calorie, high in protein,” Lori Cushman of Harwinton said.
An egg-lover, Cushman recently said she has noticed bare shelves at the grocery store.
“Definitely seeing selections way down. If they have eggs, they have very few options,” Cushman said.
Samantha Gould said her family buys eggs in bulk because they own a restaurant. The family has seen a spike in prices.
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“Eggs particularly, they went from $60 to $120, and we’re not even a breakfast place,” Gould said.
So, what is causing an egg shortage and prices to go up? Experts say it's twofold.
“Eggs right now are just going through an unprecedented supply shock due to the avian influenza virus at a time when demand is pretty strong,” Eggs Unlimited Vice President Brian Moscogiuri said. “You are losing a significant portion of the supply of this commodity at a time you know going into the fourth quarter; November, December, when demand is typically the highest of the year.”
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Moscogiuri says the international egg supplier has lost 6% of total production over the last few months because of the avian flu.
In December alone, the USDA reports more than 18 million birds were affected by the virus. According to the agency, the cost for a dozen eggs jumped over 60% last year.
“Eggs are expensive,” Gould said.
At the Mitlitsky Eggs warehouse in Lebanon, the owners have seen a stark difference from their supply over the summer to now.
“There are just empty spaces all over, we are usually holding a lot of supplies and it’s just been a crazy ride right now,” Matt Mitlitsky said. “It’s not just us, it’s happening everywhere”
The company receives eggs from farms from all across the country.
“Every truckload, there are a few palettes you know cut off delivery and it adds up,” Mitlitsky said. “We have seen the avian flu before, but it hasn’t been anything like this.”
