The highly pathogenic avian influenza has recently depopulated more than 2.7 million birds in Missouri, reducing overall egg production according to www.bing.com. Nationwide the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs was $4.95 in January, a 15 percent increase from prices in December.
John French, manager of Price Cutter in Clinton said that the egg shortage is “horrible.” He said they get their eggs at market price which is higher than other means.
The Clinton Senior Center uses eggs in its in-person dining and its home delivered meals. When asked about how high prices of eggs had affected the Center, Kathy Wilson, Senior Services Director, said “We have to eat…” She said that the supplier they use charges $150 to $175 for 15 dozen eggs. Broken down to price per dozen is from $10 to S11.67.
The Ben Franklin Bistro in Clinton, Nikita Branscombe, said that egg prices have almost doubled in price. She said that her restaurant gets eggs from a vendor, but she is trying to use local options.
“I have only been with Ben Franklin Bistro for two years, but these are the highest prices I have seen in restaurant in my total 20 years in the restaurant business,” said Branscombe. “A lot of people have great advertising about their eggs, and we get them locally. We are skating by but haven’t raised our prices.
The Dietz Family Buffet offers eggs to order on weekends. Management has seen all their foods go up and they are thinking about the possibility of stopping their eggs to order, but have not done so yet.
R&R BBQ said that they don’t use eggs with barbeque but for their potato salad they order them already boiled and peeled and the price stays the same.
Chain restaurants such as Waffle House and Denny’s have announced that some of their restaurants in the U.S. are adding a 50-cent surcharge to all egg items sold at their locations.
Clinton resident Cindy Tellman told the Democrat, “I love eggs and I but a’lot of them. I don’t like the price increase, but I’m still buying them and look around for where I can get the best price.”
The United States Department of Agriculture said that recouping egg supply losses could take longer than anticipated, and we can’t begin fixing it the next day. It is really a six-to-nine-month process (according to Newsweek). www.usatoday.com reported on Feb. 18 that the average cost of a dozen eggs in 1980 was 88 cents; prices peaked at $2.97 in 2015; and topped out at $4.83 in 2023.
One way to save on the price of eggs is to buy from local people with egg-laying chickens. Cooks Pastures at 900 NE 600, Knob Noster, is selling fresh eggs at a dozen for $4 if the buyer supplies his or her own egg carton. The owner said that she doesn’t wash the eggs because it saves money. It is almost 34 miles from Clinton, and she is presently getting a lot of reach out of people from Kansas City.
