OSHKOSH, Wis. — A price outlook from the USDA estimates egg prices will increase about 20% this year. That is compared to about a 2.2% increase for food prices in general.
Government data shows the average price of a dozen eggs was $4.15 last month. According to the consumer price index, that is about a 36% increase from last December.
The high prices are being driven by the ongoing bird flu outbreak and inflation.
Soaring egg prices has many customers scrambling for good deals. They are steering away from larger grocery stores and heading into smaller local markets like the Oshkosh Food Co-op.
Store leader Jeremiah McDuffie said their competitive prices make it hard to keep shelves stocked.
“We’ve actually seen an increase in business as we have not raised our egg prices. And so right now, our large eggs are $3.79, everyone else in the city has gone over $4 and so, we are substantially lower than the market price,” McDuffie said.
Market prices have left some in sticker shock. This is why Sue Krause-Sasse said she shops at the Oshkosh Co-op.
“They’re reasonable, and to me, it’s worth whatever it costs,” Krause-Sasse said.
It’s not just Sue. McDuffie said small businesses are literally taking stock of their egg prices.
“They’re like ‘hey, can we buy a case from you?’ We definitely saw a large push recently from home bakers, where they said, ‘you guys don’t just have great-tasting eggs, but you have a better price than everyone else,’” McDuffie said.
McDuffie said they’re able to keep prices low by partnering with a neighboring supplier Milo Egg Farm.
“We source locally, so that a market is not as volatile when you are able to source from a local environment,” McDuffie said.
Oshkosh Coop is an independently owned store and right now some eggs are even $1.99 through the end of January. So, McDuffie said buying a carton is a win-win for customers, local suppliers and the community.
“We seek to reinvest back into the city of Oshkosh and support the Fox Valley, and Wisconsin, and to make sure those who’ve created great products have a place to source them out to the public,” McDuffie said.
The USDA said bird flu has killed over 17 million egg-laying hens in November and December alone. That is nearly half of all birds killed by the virus last year.