By Leah Ash

The wholesale price of eggs has dropped sharply since the beginning of March, falling to a national average of $4 for a dozen large white eggs. That’s down from a peak of more than $8 at the end of February.

The price drop arrived as demand for eggs slows in a down period prior to Easter, “dropping by almost 22% in the last two weeks,” according to a media statement from the American Egg Board.

The New York Times reported that the price drop may be due to a combination of factors, including bird flu coming under control, however, more price fluctuations may be on the horizon.

“As the Easter holiday approaches, increasing demand may cause a secondary and temporary increase in prices. In addition, egg farmers are closely watching spring migration of wild birds—recognizing that they are a leading cause of the spread of this virus and pose a great and ongoing threat to their flocks,” Edward Hoffman, vice president, marketing and communications, American Egg Board, told NACS. “Farmers are doing everything they can to maintain supply, but until flocks are fully replenished, retailers should anticipate continued price fluctuations and availability.”

This latest outbreak in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been “unprecedented in its virality and duration, making it an ongoing challenge for America’s egg farmers,” Hoffman said. He noted that since January 2025, egg farmers have been faced with the loss of more than 30 million laying hens across all 50 states. 

“Retailers, foodservice operators and manufacturers should expect potential disruptions as farmers work tirelessly to replenish lost flocks. U.S. egg producers are actively working to fill orders and develop alternate supply plans, but customers may experience inconsistencies in availability, particularly leading into high-demand seasons like Easter and spring,” he said.

Hoffman said that stabilizing the egg supply requires a sustained period without new outbreaks—once a farm is affected by HPAI, it must go through multiple regulatory steps before it can repopulate flocks.

In February, the USDA announced the five-pronged strategy it’s taking to lower egg prices for consumers. Included in the strategy is an “additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, as well as $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens and exploring temporary import options.”

On March 19, U.S. Representative Josh Riley (D-NY) introduced The Lowering Egg Prices Act with representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI). According to a press release from Riley, the bill “will lower egg prices for consumers by cutting bureaucratic red tape that forces farmers to discard hundreds of millions of eggs each year.”

According to the press release, current federal regulations, which require farmers to wash and refrigerate eggs immediately after they are laid, have forced chicken farmers to throw away nearly 400 million “perfectly good eggs” each year. The Lowering Egg Prices Act seeks to overturn the regulation and put hundreds of millions of breaker eggs back on the market.

The United States has also turned to other countries for egg exports. Reportedly, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden are among the nations the USDA approached to address the shortage.

One of the biggest obstacles facing U.S. egg imports from many European countries is the difference in current egg regulations. Additionally, many European countries don’t have any surplus eggs to export due to their own avian flu outbreaks and the growing demand ahead of Easter.

For now, any increased U.S. egg imports from Europe are more likely to arrive in powdered form or as other products that can be shipped frozen or dried.

In the meantime, the U.S. has increased its imports of Brazilian eggs. Brazilian egg exports, including fresh and processed products, increased by 57.5% in February, said the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), citing stronger U.S. demand.

The U.S. was the second largest export destination for Brazilian egg products, with 503 tons in February—a 93.4% rise.