(NewsNation) — There’s sticker shock in the grocery store. The price of a standard dozen of eggs more than doubled in a year, according to national averages by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In December, a carton cost an average of $4.25. That marks a massive jump from the $1.93 price back in January of last year.
While inflation is wearing down the wallets of many Americans, the blame for the price hike on eggs can be mostly placed on an outbreak of bird flu across the U.S.
More than 57 million birds have been affected, according to the CDC. 43 million egg-laying hens were lost either to the disease itself or to depopulation since the outbreak started. All of this is leaving egg inventories down nearly 30%.
It’s a kitchen table topic that’s coming up in conversation, but is there an end in sight for the high prices?
In the video above, Lee Carter, president of maslanksy + partners, cracks open the issue.