U.S. considers expanding egg imports amid skyrocketing costs

The U.S. will glance to import extra eggs because it responds to an ongoing outbreak of hen flu that has egg costs surging greater than 50% from a yr in the past.

The government plans to buy eggs from different international locations as a part of a five-pronged technique, sponsored by means of $1 billion in investment, to battle a pressure of avian influenza that hit in past due 2021, the U.S. Division of Agriculture stated Wednesday. The plan comprises any other $500 million in investment for biosecurity measures, $400 million in aid for impacted farmers and $100 million for vaccine analysis, the USDA stated.

The USDA stated there’s no licensed vaccine within the U.S. towards hen flu, however the company will build up analysis into immunization and straightforwardness laws to scale back egg prices. Million of birds were culled since December amid infections amongst egg-laying hens from California to Iowa, inflicting grocery shops to restrict purchases and breakfast chains together with Waffle Space and Denny’s so as to add surcharges to orders with eggs. 

The cost of eggs jumped 15% ultimate month and was once up 53% in January from a yr in the past, Shopper Value Index information displays. 

The Trump management may be in talks to import about 70 million to 100 million eggs from different international locations within the coming months, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated. However the tallies are a drop within the bucket when put next with the just about 8 billion eggs produced within the U.S. in January on my own, down 4% from a yr in the past, in accordance to the USDA.

“We will be able to believe transient import choices to scale back egg prices within the quick time period,” Rollins wrote in an opinion piece printed Wednesday within the Wall Boulevard Magazine. 

She didn’t state which international locations the U.S. would flip to for egg imports. Turkey plans to export 420 million eggs to the U.S. this yr, in step with the Egg Manufacturers Central Union in Turkey. 

“To each circle of relatives suffering purchase eggs: We pay attention you, we are preventing for you, and assist is at the method,” Rollins stated in a commentary on Wednesday.