Eggs on the market at 66 cents every from a grocery store in Monterey Park, Calif., on Feb. 10.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
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Frederic J. Brown/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Eggs have change into the grocery staple that Individuals cannot cease speaking about: whether or not its fears of widespread hen flu getting worse, or the drastic enhance in the price of eggs because of so many chickens dying from sickness or being culled due to the outbreak.
This week, the U.S. Division of Agriculture introduced a $1 billion plan to deal with the disaster.
Three issues to know:
1. Egg costs jumped greater than 15% final month, and panicked patrons emptied retailer cabinets as fears of a wider scarcity loomed.
2. In its plan, the USDA stated it could spend as much as half a billion {dollars} boosting bio-safety precautions at egg farms. One other $400 million will go to hurry the substitute of misplaced birds, though it may take six months to a yr to boost a productive laying hen.
3. The plan additionally requires spending $100 million to discover methods to quickly increase the provision of imported eggs, and presumably to vaccinate home chickens. Vaccination efforts can pose a problem, as it may make the exportation of chickens raised for meat tougher.
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Is all of it simply hen flu?
Whereas the avian flu might be liable for the quick scarcity in eggs, some are starting to query what different components could possibly be at play.
Advocacy teams like Farm Motion, and a handful of Democratic lawmakers have referred to as for a deeper investigation into whether or not trade focus and practices are behind this worth spike.