SPOKANE, Wash. — The spread of bird flu is impacting our local grocery store prices.
The cost of eggs and chicken are on the rise, while supply has decreased, leaving shoppers struggling to find a good deal at the store.
The average cost of a dozen cage-free eggs was $4.08 on November 30. This is a 30% increase from November 2023, according to Nielsen Market Data, provided by the Egg Board.
Many local markets in Spokane said the bird flu is affecting their supply, making it more difficult to place their regular orders.
One local butcher shop said they’ve struggles with ordering chicken for the past few weeks.
“It’s ridiculous how the price of eggs has just skyrocketed,” said Timothy Perdue, the meat market manager at Trent Harvest Foods in Spokane Valley.
The current cost of a dozen Eggland’s Best eggs at the store is $4.39. This is a bargain compared to the Cherry Lane brand of large eggs, which are priced at $8.99.
Another manager said she thinks her customers are shopping elsewhere due to the high costs.
Perdue said the chicken supply hasn’t yet been affected, but prices have been.
“It just seems that poultry isn’t on sale as much as it used to be. I have one thing on sale right now, and that’s boneless, skinless thighs. I usually have three or four different things on sale,” he said.
A few other local grocers said their cost in eggs hasn’t been affected since they buy from local farms.
“The locally owned farms that I’ve spoken with have indicated they haven’t seen quite as much an impact with the avian flu as some of the bigger farms that maybe are distributing throughout the whole U.S.,” said Tammie Hetrick, President and CEO of Washington Food Industry Association, a non-profit a nonprofit that represents independently owned grocery stores.
Hetrick believes this is because local farms have less birds for the flu to actively spread.
She said consumers can help alleviate strain on the supply-chain by only purchasing what they need so there is enough for everyone.
The hope is that the issue will begin to fade once fall migration is over and the warmer months arrive.
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