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Retail Egg Prices Continued to Rise in March, Data Show


Prices reached a record high of $6.23 per dozen in March, according to the government’s inflation data.

Retail egg prices in the United States reached an average record high of $6.23 per dozen in March, according to inflation data published by the federal government on Thursday.

The price represents an increase of more than 30 cents, the data show, as the price of a dozen eggs stood at $5.90 on average in February, said the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its most recent Consumer Price Index update. In January, it cost $4.95 on average for a dozen eggs.

It could mean consumers and businesses that rely on eggs might not get much immediate relief. Demand for eggs is typically higher until after Easter, which falls this year on April 20.

Bird flu outbreaks were cited as the major cause of price spikes in January and February after more than 30 million egg-laying chickens were killed to prevent the spread of the disease. In March, 2.1 million birds were slaughtered, and none of them were on egg farms.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Thursday suggested the rise in egg prices is temporary, pointing to the overall consumer price index showing a dip in prices for goods and services across the U.S. economy in March, and said egg prices will soon follow.

“We’re also moving into the Super Bowl of eggs, which is Easter,” Rollins said. “So from the beginning, I’ve said this is sort of the high price for retail for eggs, but we feel very confident that will continue to come back down.”

Prices reported under the Consumer Price Index declined month-over-month in March to 2.4 percent from 2.8 percent in February, the lowest figure in six months, according to the Labor Department. A contributor to the drop was the energy index declining by 2.4 percent, which was fueled by a 6.3 percent drop in gasoline prices.
In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported lower wholesale egg prices, but warned in late February that prices are likely going to rise by 41 percent in 2025.

Rollins said at the time that her department will spend $1 billion to deal with the soaring egg prices and alleviate the avian influenza crisis.

“American farmers need relief, and American consumers need affordable food,” Rollins said in a Feb. 26 statement. “To every family struggling to buy eggs: We hear you, we’re fighting for you, and help is on the way.”

Last month, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance both hailed the overall decline in inflation last month before some of Trump’s tariffs took effect. On Wednesday, Trump announced he would be placing a 90-day pause on all new tariffs higher than 10 percent except for China.

“The egg prices they were going through the sky. And you did a fantastic job,” Trump told Rollins as he announced the details of his tariffs at the White House last week. “Now we have lots of eggs and they are much cheaper now.”

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that the annual White House egg roll would use real eggs again this year despite the high prices. Egg farmers typically donate more than 30,000 eggs for the event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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