Egg prices soar during holiday season

Why the heck are eggs so expensive? It’s getting ridiculous in the grocery store, and prices keep going up.

Eggs are the backbone of holiday dinners, from baking to deviled eggs.

With Christmas just eight days away, egg prices are skyrocketing, hitting holiday budgets hard.

Nationwide, they’re up nearly 40% compared to last year. And here at home, it’s not much better. The jump is even bigger at some stores.

Whether you’re baking holiday cookies, whipping up eggnog, or just looking for breakfast, you’ll need to budget a little more for eggs. This season, an 18-count carton at Publix jumped nearly $2 to $6.51, and at Walmart and Target, prices more than doubled up $4 from last year. However, farmers markets are holding steady, selling premium eggs for around $10.50, unchanged for years.

“It makes us think twice about getting eggs and the quantity we get,” a Target shopper told us. “We usually buy our eggs from Costco because it’s a big variety pack, and then it’s a little bit cheaper, but that’s a big toll at the time, so we tend to shop around and find the cheapest eggs price.”

The shopper was asked if they’d say it’s made an impact on their grocery budget.

“Oh, for sure, yes, definitely. We think about it a little bit harder if we need them or not,” the shopper said.

Experts say the price comes from holiday demand and a resurgence of bird flu, which had cut egg supply, but local farmers blame inflation and rising costs for retailers while their own prices remain stable.

Robert McMahon, owner of Southern Fresh Farms, said, “We haven’t changed our prices in a long time, and we put them at where we feel like people will still pay for it and still help us make enough money to keep feeding the chickens and maintaining them, but again, we have not changed our prices in several years.”

High egg prices typically stick around during the holidays, so if you’re hosting or baking, buying in bulk can help lower the cost per egg. Still, you can expect a higher grocery bill this season.

Here’s the bigger picture. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows eggs are up 81% in the past four years, margarine 55%, beef 37% and juices 32%.

We are paying more, generally, across the board.