Economist, farmer weigh in on nationwide increase in egg prices

Is it the chicken or the egg? In the case of skyrocketing egg prices across the nation, it’s the chicken. WYFF News 4 spoke with Furman University’s Jason Jones, an economics professor, about why the price of eggs is so high. Jones said it’s a simple supply and demand issue. There are fewer chickens due to avian flu. Fewer chickens means fewer eggs, which translates to higher prices for eggs on grocery store shelves – about a 50% increase compared to food in general, which has seen a 12% increase over the last several months, Jones explained.

On the other hand, Steve Ellis of Bethel Trails Farm (Gray Court, South Carolina) says he hasn’t increased the price of his eggs in the last year. The free-range chickens on his farm are less susceptible to bird flu than chickens raised in larger facilities. He makes a case for buying local.