The rising cost of eggs and the political blame game

The price of large organic eggs at Publix in Coral Gables, Florida.

A dozen eggs cost $5.61 at the Publix on Monza Avenue across from campus as of Sunday, Feb. 2. 

That same carton of eggs would have cost just $1.96 five years ago according to the latest Consumer Price Index. The average price of eggs in the US is up 186% since February 2020. 

“A dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to. It’s sad. It’s disheartening,” said Brayan Alvarez, a Coral Gables resident of twelve years. “I can’t imagine what this does to people who can barely make ends meet.”

“It’s ridiculous. Miami is an expensive city, everyone knew that coming to school here. We shouldn’t have to pay so much for groceries on top of everything else,” said Jordan Katz, a sophomore majoring in biology. 

The main culprit of egg price increases is that the U.S. is still reeling from a catastrophic outbreak of bird flu. The virus, known as H5N1, has infected or killed about 136 million birds since first reported in January 2022. 

Under USDA policy, if a bird tests positive for the virus, the farmer has to kill the entire flock as a precaution. Given the prolonged duration of this outbreak, some farmers have reportedly had to cull their flocks multiple times.

As a result, major cities including Miami, Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles are experiencing egg shortages

“We are currently experiencing difficulty sourcing eggs that meet our strict animal welfare standards. For now, we’re limiting purchases to 3 cartons per customer,” says a sign affixed to the egg refrigerator at the Whole Foods on Red Rd. 

The USDA reports that prices will likely increase another 20% by year’s end, as no viable solution to the bird flu crisis has been presented. The issue then is simply one of supply and demand. 

Still, high prices of eggs and other everyday essentials became a Republican rallying cry during the 2024 election cycle. 

“When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one,” Trump pledged on the campaign trail repeatedly. 

According to an AP study of more than 120,000 voters last fall, 7 in 10 reported being “very concerned” about the price of food and groceries. Sticker shock at the supermarket evidently contributed to Trump’s victory.

President Trump and the new GOP-led Congress have not yet issued or passed any specific policy to reduce food prices. “Prices are going to come down, but it’s going to take a little bit of time,” Vice President JD Vance said in a Jan. 26 interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He gave no further details.

In fact, economists and food industry executives say that Trump’s tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, implemented on Feb. 1, will cause an immediate spike in meat, fruit and vegetable prices. Trump argues that such levies will protect American companies from foreign competition and incentivize consumers to buy U.S. products.

“Any increase in expenses in the form of a tariff subsequently serves as a ‘food tax’ on consumers for imported products and is not a workable solution,” said National Grocers Association spokesman David Cutler in an interview with Reuters.

Democratic lawmakers and media critics disapprove of Trump’s still unfulfilled campaign promise of a hasty return to cheap eggs.

“Perhaps if we were dealing with undocumented Guatemalan chickens, President Trump would find time to address the bird flu issue,” one USA Today commentator wrote.