The United States is facing a significant surge in egg prices, which have increased by more than 65% over the past year, with projections indicating a further rise of 41% by 2025. In response to this urgent situation, the Trump administration has announced a $1 billion initiative aimed at addressing the crisis triggered by a devastating bird flu epidemic leading to the culling of tens of millions of chickens.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins revealed the plan to import hundreds of millions of eggs from Turkey and South Korea, and discussions are underway with other nations to expand the supply. In her statement to reporters at the White House, Rollins emphasized that this solution is a short-term measure to alleviate the historic prices affecting American consumers. “When our chicken populations are repopulated and we’ve got a full egg-laying industry going again, hopefully in a couple of months, we then shift back to our internal egg layers and moving those eggs out onto the shelf,” she explained.
In addition to sourcing eggs from international suppliers, the Trump administration is committed to strengthening domestic poultry production. A five-point plan unveiled by the US Department of Agriculture includes a budget of $500 million aimed at improving biosecurity measures, $100 million for vaccine research, and $400 million allocated to support farmers who have been financially impacted.
Rollins highlighted that the USDA will provide guidance and consulting services to commercial egg farms at no cost, covering up to 75% of the expenses incurred while implementing preventative measures against bird flu. She noted that the initiative is aimed at reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing productivity in the egg sector. “Our plan was to invest a significant amount of money to do audits across the country to have USDA help these egg-laying companies secure their barns,” she stated. “Since we began doing that most recently, we’ve seen a significant decline in the bird flu.”
Historically, the avian flu (H5N1) has been a lingering issue in American poultry. However, since the onset of the 2022 outbreak, which resulted in the deaths of over 156 million birds, egg prices have skyrocketed dramatically, leading to growing political pressure on the administration.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump utilized the rising costs of eggs as a focal point, expressing his intention to stabilize prices for voters frustrated by inflation. He has explicitly pointed fingers at his predecessor, Joe Biden, blaming the surge in prices on the previous administration’s decisions during last year’s culling amid the flu outbreak.
In a recent address to Congress, Trump stated, “Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control – and we are working hard to get it back down.” Despite the efforts being made, egg prices have continued to escalate during the initial stages of Trump’s second term as President.
As the administration works through these multifaceted strategies, the hope is to provide relief to American consumers and restore stability to the egg market.