Egg prices in the United States could be about to rise even higher as a massive fire destroyed a large coop at one of the country’s biggest egg producing farms.
Massive Hillandale Farms Fire Could Have Impact on High Egg Prices
Hillandale Farms in Bozrah, Connecticut, lost one of its chicken houses in the fire, with an estimated 100,000 chickens perishing in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unknown as of writing, but the loss of such a significant source of egg production seems likely to impact the already high price of eggs.
Egg Prices to Rise Even Higher?
The price of eggs was already through the roof thanks to the avian flu which affected 57.82 million birds in 2022, and 3.8 million in December alone. The Consumer Price Index information released this January by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the price of a dozen eggs to have reached $4.25, which represented a 18.4{5c94e41db43f1643af886a760ed785f3e6f3e4efec1ac57b512d948d7f011ae0} spike in just one month.
To put that in perspective, the price of a dozen eggs just one year ago was $1.78. That’s a jump of 137.7{5c94e41db43f1643af886a760ed785f3e6f3e4efec1ac57b512d948d7f011ae0} in just 12 months.
The United Egg Producers (aka Egg Farmers of America) had been hopeful and predicted the number of avian flu cases to decrease over the coming months, with a potential spike in spring. Prices would then likely begin to fall as production and supply chain issues eased-up.
This new devastation at Hillandale Farms could throw another spanner in the works.
Cause of Fire Investigation Continues
Reports says over 100 firefighters from multiple departments battled the blaze for around eight hours.
A statement from the farm’s executive leadership team said: “Our team continues to work closely with the local fire departments and state officials to thoroughly investigate the fire that occurred on Saturday, January 28. We can confirm that one chicken house was lost and that no other buildings were compromised. We are deeply grateful that no employees were hurt in the fire.”
Restaurants and food makers remain understandably concerned as we wait to see what impact the fire has on egg prices.
Image: Envato Elements
This article, “Massive Hillandale Farms Fire Could Have Impact on High Egg Prices” was first published on Small Business Trends