Egg Prices Dropping in March

Egg prices are dropping continuously in March, after months of rising and nationwide shortages.

The Details: The national average wholesale price of a dozen large white eggs fell to $4.15 per dozen last week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It had been as high as $8 in recent weeks. Conversely, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have reportedly seen a recent rise in egg smuggling at the US-Mexico Border, due to ongoing high costs – a 36% increase this fiscal year.

For Context: Primary causes of increased prices were general inflation and “bird flu” (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza [HPAI]). Both still pose a threat as farmers work to recover from the bird flu outbreak and tariffs create an unpredictable economy. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly investigating possible antitrust violations by major egg farmers, which could uncover if price manipulation was another primary cause of the cost shifts. Additionally, the USDA plans to spend roughly $1 billion on improving biosecurity within the farming industry. 

How the Media Covered It: News media across the political spectrum cited bird flu as a primary cause of rising and falling prices. New York Post (Lean Right bias) did not mention the USDA report, focusing on the smuggling at the southern border. NPR (Lean Left) did not mention the smuggling, though it did during a spike in 2023. It instead focused on the report and optimistically cited hopes of two-dollar eggs. CNBC (Center) stated that prices have “fallen sharply” but also highlighted concerns of tariff-induced inflation under President Donald Trump and USDA data that prices are still over 170% higher than a year ago. All three outlets mentioned the DOJ investigation.

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