Eggs cost 82% more today than a year ago. Livestock Marketing expert and Texas A&M professor Dr. David Anderson says the deadly and highly infectious avian flu attacking egg-laying hens started it off. "Two reasons. One: The Avian Influenza. Two: Higher feed costs for the hens: soy bean meal, corn. Of course, everything else is higher as well. Fuel - things like that." There's also a California influence. "What folks in California [and Massachusetts] voted on is for producers of the eggs that they buy there to move away from those laid by chickens in cages. But --- that leads to higher costs!"
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Dr. Anderson does say, though, there's light at the end of the tunnel. "I do think prices will eventually come down. The major reason for this price increase is the cut in production we had for this animal disease. As it runs it course, and we're able to respond to RECORD HIGH PRICES, we'll expand production and prices will come down."
photo:Getty