(The Center Square) – For the past couple months, egg prices have jumped in Illinois and around the country, but a Midwestern farm organization is skeptical of the price hikes.
The price of a dozen eggs was averaging around $5 in the U.S. last month, but prices in the Chicago area were as high as $9 a dozen.
Sarah Carden, research and policy development director with the organization Farm Action, said consumers are outraged because eggs are an important part of the American breakfast table.
“Not only are they a big staple in most people’s diets, they’re not that easy to replace,” said Carden. “When beef prices spike, some people might buy a little more chicken.”
Carden also said the avian flu outbreak had a minimal impact on egg production.
“Avian flu should not have created the spike in egg prices that the entire country has been grappling with. It is also suspicious that shortly after our calls for a government investigation were heard, egg prices are now dramatically declining,” said Farm Action President Angela Huffman in a statement. “Meanwhile, USDA’s latest data contradicts the department’s plan to continue bailing out the largest egg firms.”
They point to data that shows that of the over 30 million birds lost so far in 2025, conventional caged layer flocks were disproportionately affected, with 12.3% of the conventional caged layer flock lost, 7.8% of the non-organic cage-free flock, and 0.1% of the organic flock.
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture announced a plan to reduce egg prices, including an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens and exploring temporary import options.
The Trump administration has announced that millions of eggs will be imported from South Korea and Turkey.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 1.8 million eggs were produced in Illinois in 2023. By comparison, Iowa produced over 13 million eggs during that time.
