Unprecedented Egg Price Surge... US "Avian Influenza Vaccine Research Accelerates"

Egg Prices Hit Record Highs
$100 Million Support for Vaccine Development
Poultry Industry Opposes, Saying "Culling Is More Economical"

As egg prices in the United States continue to soar to record highs, the U.S. government has begun developing vaccines to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (avian flu, AI).

According to the Associated Press on the 12th (local time), the U.S. has started full-scale research on chicken vaccines amid the surge in egg prices. Previously, the Donald Trump administration announced a $1.5 billion (approximately 2.18 trillion KRW) plan to stabilize egg prices, including $100 million (approximately 145.3 billion KRW) in funding for disease research and vaccine development. The resurgence of avian influenza has been identified as the cause of the current spike in egg prices.

In fact, since December last year, more than 13 million laying hens have died or been culled due to avian influenza, leading to a sharp decline in egg production and a rapid increase in prices. The average price of a dozen eggs in the U.S. rose 237% from $1.47 (about 2,100 KRW) in January 2021 to $4.95 (about 7,200 KRW) last month. Currently, consumers are facing prices exceeding $10 (about 14,500 KRW) for a dozen eggs.

In January, an egg display shelf was completely empty due to supply shortages at a grocery store in Denver, Colorado, USA. Photo by AP and Yonhap News.

While vaccines could prevent such phenomena, the poultry industry is opposing them, arguing that vaccines negatively affect chicken meat exports. They also claim that culling infected chickens is more economical than vaccination in the event of an outbreak. Broilers are slaughtered at 6 to 8 weeks of age and have a lower risk of infection compared to laying hens, making the risk lower for the laying hen industry. Additionally, the broiler industry is concentrated in the southeastern U.S., geographically reducing the risk of outbreaks compared to the laying hen industry located in the Midwest.

Meanwhile, as this "eggflation" phenomenon unfolds, locals have started raising chickens in their backyards. On the 16th of last month, local media Axios reported that 11 million U.S. households keep chickens at home. Considering that only 5.8 million households raised chickens as of 2018, this number has nearly doubled in about six years. Consequently, chickens have become the third most popular pet in the U.S. Brook Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, also expressed strong support, stating, "We will encourage easier backyard chicken raising for ordinary households."