Photo credit: www.bbc.com
The U.S. administration is exploring egg imports from Turkey and South Korea as part of a broader strategy to alleviate unprecedented egg prices faced by American consumers. This initiative was confirmed by officials amidst rising concerns over affordability.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicated that negotiations are underway for hundreds of millions of eggs in the short term during a press briefing at the White House.
This move follows a significant $1 billion intervention aimed at addressing a severe avian flu outbreak that has compelled U.S. farmers to cull tens of millions of chickens, severely disrupting the supply chain.
Despite commitments from President Trump to lower consumer prices, egg costs have surged by over 65% in the past year. Projections suggest that prices could increase by another 41% by 2025, raising alarms among consumers and policymakers alike. For further details, visit the USDA’s Food Price Outlook.
Rollins mentioned that her department is reaching out to additional countries to secure more supplies but did not disclose specific locations currently under discussion.
“Once our chicken populations have recovered and the egg-laying industry is back to full capacity in a couple of months, we will transition back to relying on our domestic egg layers,” Rollins stated.
Reports from Polish and Lithuanian poultry associations indicate they have been contacted by U.S. embassies regarding potential egg exports. Katarzyna Gawronska, director of the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers in Poland, confirmed that inquiries were made earlier this year about Poland’s willingness to export eggs to the U.S.
In February, the USDA unveiled a comprehensive plan with a $1 billion budget designed to mitigate soaring egg prices. This plan includes $500 million allocated for biosecurity initiatives, approximately $100 million for vaccine research, and $400 million dedicated to financial relief for farmers.
The administration has also pledged to provide commercial egg producers with advisory services at no cost, and will cover up to 75% of expenses aimed at fortifying farms against bird flu outbreaks.
Rollins highlighted the focus on enhancing audits across the nation to aid egg-laying operations in strengthening their biosecurity measures. “Since the inception of this initiative, we’ve observed a notable decrease in the incidence of bird flu,” she remarked.
Though the H5N1 strain has been a longstanding threat to U.S. poultry, an outbreak that began in 2022 has created widespread devastation, resulting in the death of more than 156 million birds and contributing to drastic price increases.
In the lead-up to last year’s presidential election, egg pricing became a significant talking point for Trump as he sought to resonate with voter frustrations regarding the rising costs of everyday essentials.
During a recent address to Congress, Trump pointed to the previous administration’s decisions as contributing factors to the spike in egg prices. “Joe Biden especially allowed prices to spiral out of control, and we are committed to reversing that trend,” he stated.
Amidst last year’s avian flu response, the Biden administration also mandated the culling of millions of egg-laying birds, and the trend of rising prices has persisted into the initial stages of Trump’s second term.
Source
www.bbc.com