Amid skyrocketing egg prices and shortages, around 1 lakh eggs worth $40,000 (Rs 34,84,329) were stolen from a distribution supplier in south-central Pennsylvania's Franklin County on Saturday. The theft reportedly occurred at Pete & Gerry's Organics in the Antrim borough of Greencastle at 8:40 pm.
The eggs were stolen from the organic farm amid a recent bird flu outbreak in the US. According to the Consumer Price Index, the price of a dozen large eggs has surged by 36.8 per cent over the past year due to supply shortages.
In central Pennsylvania, grocery stores are selling a dozen eggs for $4.69 (Rs 408) or higher, depending on the type and brand.
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the egg theft and are urging anyone with information to contact their Chambersburg division at 717-264-5161.
The US Department of Agriculture predicts that while overall food costs are expected to rise by just 2.2 per cent this year, egg prices may increase by nearly 20 per cent. Reports indicate that the average price per dozen was $4.10 (Rs 357) by the end of 2024 - double what it was in August 2023.
A shortage, caused by an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is driving up egg prices.
Several cases of the virus have been reported across the US, including recent outbreaks at a duck farm in Long Island, New York, and in Merced County, California. Health experts in Massachusetts recently stated that even in areas without confirmed cases, bird flu was likely present.
"Egg prices are going up because of the avian flu, but that's driving people to buy more eggs than they usually do because they're anticipating higher prices and reduced grocery store supply," Emory University Associate Marketing Professor Saloni Vastan told USA Today.
Avian influenza is caused by the H5N1 virus. The USDA estimates that the ongoing outbreak, which began in 2022, has killed nearly 136 million birds.
