Ga. ag leaders work to cut egg prices, contain bird flu outbreak
ATLANTA, Ga. - The price of eggs has many wondering if they can do without. As the price is at an all-time high of $4.95 per dozen on average.
In some places, a dozen eggs is $12.
The cause for this price increase has been credited to the bird flu, which caused millions of egg-laying chickens to be killed.
Are egg producers inflating prices during outbreak to boost profits?
Egg producers blame the ongoing bird flu outbreak for driving prices up to record highs. But is that the whole story?
Officials with Georgia Department of Agriculture said Georgia is a model for the nation when it comes to bird flu prevention and mitigation that affects poultry. Research shows across the nation, 166 million birds have been affected, but only 210,000 of them were in Georgia.
“Those numbers don’t lie,” Matthew Agvent with Georgia Department of Agriculture said. “They really speak to the work that our department has done here in the state, that our poultry industry has done, and that our animal health professionals do every single day. But at the same time, our consumers here in Georgia are really feeling what’s going on around the country, and we’ve got to get a handle on that.”
Georgia faring better than South Carolina as flu season lingers
Georgia is seeing a decline in cases during what doctors are calling one of the busiest flu seasons in memory. It's different for South Carolina.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released a billion-dollar plan aimed at lowering egg prices and battling the bird flu.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper visited Washington, D.C., to discuss how that plan will help Georgians in particular.
MORE FROM NEWS 12
Georgia: Latest from the state Capitol
- Proposal could jail Ga. librarians for not removing ‘harmful’ books
- Ga. senators 2nd part of Kemp plan to limit lawsuits
- Ga. House es bill to restrict transgender sports participation
- Georgia Senate es measure to raise fentanyl penalties
- Ga. Senate pushing a bigger boost in Hurricane Helene relief
“It’s certainly not going to happen overnight, as this outbreak is three years in the making,” Agvent said. “One key component of Secretary Rollins’ plans is to look at potential import options to alleviate some of the short-term pain that our consumers are facing at the grocery store.”
Agvent said he believes when the plan is executed, it will be a long-term solution.
I-TEAM: Automated speed cameras – for protection or for profit?
It’s a highly debated topic across the state – using automated cameras to catch speeding vehicles in school zones.
Experts say despite the dramatic increase in the cost of eggs, the demand hasn’t changed. Since the supply is lower, the cost is higher.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
