Egg prices are up again and some experts are saying the latest increases likely aren’t the last. Tony Pescatore was a longtime associate chair and extension professor at the University of Kentucky’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences before retiring last fall.
“We've seen a shift in the industry to cage-free production. We've seen the shift from white eggs to brown eggs, and we've seen a shift to organic.”
Pescatore said another factor is avian flu, which forces producers to kill thousands of hens.
“It looks like this is going to be a bad year for it. We were seeing it more in the wild bird populations. We now have avian influenza as a concern in the dairy industry.”
At a Versailles grocery Friday, a dozen of one so-called “normal” brand cost $4.49, while a dozen labeled “free range” cost $7.99. Pescatore concluded his interview by saying, “I think we’re in for a rough year.”
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