Amid egg crunch, these CSRA grocery stores are limiting sales
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Grocery stores in the CSRA and across the country have started rationing eggs amid an ongoing shortage that has caused the price of eggs to skyrocket.
The egg shortage is due to increased bird flu among chickens. More than 13 million hens have died or have been slaughtered since December as a result of the bird flu outbreak.
Because of the shortage, grocery stores are now limiting the amount of eggs customers can buy.
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Publix and Trader Joe’s are limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer per day.
Walmart is limiting customers to two 60-count cartons per purchase but does not have a limit on smaller quantities of eggs.
Kroger and Aldi stores have a two dozen carton, per trip limit.
Whole Foods and Costco have a three dozen carton, per person limit in some stores.
Sam’s Club is limiting customers to two cartons of eggs.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM
Bird flu: Entire flocks are slaughtered
- The main reason eggs are more expensive is the bird flu outbreak. When the virus is found on a farm, the entire flock is killed to limit the spread of disease. Because massive egg farms may have millions of birds, just one outbreak may put a dent in the egg supply.
- The Agriculture Department says more than 23 million birds were slaughtered last month and more than 18 million were killed in December to limit the spread of the virus. Those numbers include turkeys and chickens raised for meat, but the vast majority of them were egg-laying chickens.
- The good news is the bird flu seems to have slowed down in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Agriculture on Monday lifted a statewide ban on poultry exhibitions, shows and sales of live birds that had been put in place after the virus was found in a northeast Georgia commercial flock. Two parts of Elbert County will remain under quarantine.
The egg crunch isn’t just hurting consumers but businesses in the CSRA, like bakeries.
Several told us they’re either having to the increased costs to customers or take the hit.
“Eggs have hit the hardest with a nearly 50% increase and the stores are limiting purchases, so we’re now having to make multiple trips to the grocery stores in a week,” said Kelsie Mellott, owner of Hey Honey! Cakery.
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The price increase is also causing longer days.
“Someone’s having to leave the store and it’s really putting a dent in the work process here. You know because they could be working on the production of cake orders and baking. And if somebody has to run and grab eggs, then all of a sudden our baker is behind,” said Mellott.
They’re absorbing the extra cost for as long as possible.
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“We don’t want to deter any customers from coming in. Being a scratch-based bakery, it’s expensive as it is and to raise the prices, I don’t feel like we can handle that. And potentially lose the added business if we did do a price increase,” she said.
Prices are only going to get worse, with Easter usually bringing the yearly peak.
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