The nationwide egg scarcity has led to weird pricing at New York-area checkout counters — with cartons of standard eggs costing considerably greater than the natural and free-range selection.
At Large Apple grocer Morton Williams, a dozen white, common eggs from an in-store model had been going for a whopping $9.99 this week, whereas a carton of Land O Lakes brown eggs — produced “without hormones, steroids, or antibiotics” — price simply $5.59.
Different natural and cage-free varieties on the grocery store’s West 57th Road had been additionally promoting for effectively underneath $10, together with $5.69 for a dozen of Egg-Land’s Greatest “vegetarian-fed hens” eggs, $7.49 for Natural Brown eggs, and $8.49 for Eco Meal Cage-Free Giant Brown eggs.
A key motive for the topsy-turvy pricing is that natural, free-range egg farms — regardless of being hit simply as exhausting by the avian flu as the remainder — have been honoring lower-priced distribution contracts, in accordance with Joe Viscomi, assistant director of operations for Morton Williams.
Nevertheless, lots of these contracts are slated to run out within the coming weeks — with the consequence that natural and cage-free eggs may blow previous the $10-a-dozen mark, he added.
“The disparity of the cost of organic brown and cage free eggs versus conventional eggs is closing fast,” Viscomi stated.
On the Stew Leonard’s chain within the New York suburbs, the grocery store is charging $10.39 per dozen for its common, non-public label model, whereas the natural, cage-free eggs are $5.
“Our customers are now asking us how long do eggs last,” proprietor Stew Leonard instructed The Put up.
The reemergence of the avian flu has led to the culling of 110 million egg-laying hens since 2022.
Skyrocketing egg costs are anticipated to plague consumers for months to come back, in accordance with Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, principal within the agriculture and meals apply at consulting agency, Kearney.
“This outbreak is accelerating and it’s not predictable,” stated Sutton-Vermeulen, including that 14 million hens had been slaughtered over the previous 4 weeks.
“I would not bet on a May recovery” as some consultants have predicted, he stated.
Buyers scouring the town for inexpensive eggs have been capable of finding some bargains. The Bryant Park Complete Meals in Midtown is promoting a dozen premium eggs for $4.69 this week, as The Put up reported.
The recognition of the sale pressured the shop to restrict purchases to a few cartons per buyer, in accordance with a notice posted at its entrance.
Many bodegas within the metropolis have already raised costs on sandwiches that embrace eggs, as The Put up reported this week.
Stew Leonard’s, which sells about 100 bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches a day at every of its eight shops for about $4.49, is also eyeing a worth improve.
“If egg prices keep going up we have to look at everything we do,” Leonard stated.
This week, Waffle Home introduced a 50 cent surcharge per egg at its 2,000 areas throughout 25 states.
The Georgia-based chain described the payment as a “temporary targeted surcharge” tied to the “unprecedented” improve in egg costs.
