Farmers react to Trump’s plan to combat egg crisis

Industry experts know the solution to the current egg crisis will not be a quick fix, but they do believe U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ $1 billion comprehensive strategy to address the issue is a critical step forward.

Farmers told FOX Business they support the focused effort to protect egg-laying hens from highly pathogenic avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, believing it will help stabilize the U.S. egg supply and reduce prices. 

Rollins’ “five-pronged strategy” is aimed at curbing the growing number of bird flu outbreaks that began in 2022 and have since decimated flocks around the country and created a significant shortage in the U.S. egg supply. 

As part of its plan, the government agency plans to invest an additional $500 million into biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers and $100 million for vaccine research. The department is also looking to find way to reduce regulatory burdens and explore temporary import options.  

 American Egg Board CEO Emily Metz described it as a “critical step forward” for the industry, emphasizing that Americans have heavily relied on eggs, as shown by 23 consecutive months of high demand and sales. 

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“The Administration’s five-pronged approach to combat avian influenza creates a road map to recovery for the egg industry,” Metz said.

The plan to strengthen the industry’s already strict biosecurity and disease prevention measures, provide more financial assistance to affected farmers, fund research into vaccines and therapeutics for better flock protection, remove regulatory burdens and explore temporary solutions to stabilize egg supplies will help the industry “make real progress in addressing this unprecedented systemic disruption in our egg-production system,” Metz continued. 

Farm employee and Chief Science Officer of egg producer Versova Dr. Craig Rowles told FOX Business that while there is no “quick fix” to this complex situation, the government’s plan — announced Wednesday — “is firmly in line with what egg farmers believe needs to happen to address this devastating outbreak.” 

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“In particular, we support the continued exploration of a comprehensive vaccine strategy that coordinates between the industry, animal disease experts, the federal government and our international trading partners. HPAI is a worldwide problem, and we must identify global solutions,” Rowles said. 

A shot of eggsa at Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch. Michigan’s largest egg producer specializing in organic and cage-free eggs. (Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch)

Garrett Hawkins, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, also called the $1 billion package “a step in the right direction” in bringing this situation under control. However, he cautioned that the industry and consumers will need to “exercise patience and understand it’s going to take some time to see the fruition of this plan.”

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In recent weeks, restaurants and grocers have been adding surcharges or limiting the number of eggs customers can purchase as outbreaks of bird flu continued to wreak havoc on the U.S. egg supply.

As of Feb. 21, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed there have been 36 outbreaks in nine states. This has resulted in the loss of 26.8 million birds since the beginning of 2025. In January alone, there were about 18.8 million commercial egg layers affected by bird flu, marking the highest monthly total since the virus started to spread rapidly. 

National Egg Shortage due to Bird Flu, sign on empty shelf at supermarket, Queens, New York. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Egg prices surged 15.2% in January, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index. It was the largest increase in egg prices since June 2015 and accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total monthly rise in food prices, the department reported. On an annual basis, egg prices are up 53%.

The Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service’s (ERS) food outlook also projected that prices will surge over 40% in 2025.

Here is a breakdown of the plan: 

Biosecurity measures: 

Under the plan, the USDA said it will expand its successful Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments to egg-layer facilities nationwide to protect farms from wild birds, which the USDA says cause of 83% of all bird flu cases. The agency will also extend biosecurity audits, with free audits continuing for farms affected by HPAI. 

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The USDA will also deploy 20 trained experts to help farms reduce HPAI risks and improve biosecurity, focusing on “protecting against spread through wild birds in addition to lateral spread.” 

Increase relief to affected farmers 

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will continue to compensate farmers who have to kill their flocks to control the further spread of HPAI. 

The agency also said new programs are being explored to help farmers to accelerate the rate of repopulation, including ways to simplify the approval process to speed recovery. 

Removing regulatory burdens 

The USDA will work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to examine strategies to expand supply in the commercial market for eggs. It also plans to minimize burdens on individual farmers and consumers who harvest homegrown eggs while simultaneously working with farmers and scientists “to develop innovative strategies to limit the extent of depopulations in HPAI outbreaks.”

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The USDA will also educate both consumers and Congress on the need to fix the problem of geographical price differences for eggs. 

Explore pathways towards vaccines, therapeutics and other strategies 

The U.S. will be “hyper focused” on developing new vaccines and treatments to reduce the need to kill egg-laying chickens. They will also improve the way they monitor chickens in and around outbreaks. 

The USDA will also work with other countries to “limit impacts to export trade markets from potential vaccination.” It will also work alongside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure public safety is kept in mind while exploring new approaches. 

They will hold discussions every two weeks and update the public regularly.