Despite signs of relief in recent weeks, egg prices in the U.S. again soared to record levels in March, with the average cost of a dozen eggs reaching $6.23.
According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 10, egg prices rose by 6% month-over-month, despite a slowing of the nation's recent bird flu outbreak, and a March 31 release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reporting that consumers were again "seeing fully stocked shelves." At the time, the USDA explained that even though there had been a sizable dip in wholesale egg prices, it could take up to three weeks for a similar shift to trickle down to grocery stores.
Egg producer Cal-Maine — which provides 20% of the country's eggs — also confirmed to the Associated Press on April 8 that it was being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division, as part of a price-fixing probe the DOJ opened a month prior. The DOJ's investigation is focusing on whether U.S. egg producers colluded to share data on their supply, and purposefully held back stock to artificially drive up prices at grocery stores.
Cal-Maine was fined $53 million in 2023 in a separate price-fixing probe, where the company was found liable for artificially reducing its supply of eggs by exporting them to other countries, and limiting the number of egg-laying hens in its flocks. According to The Guardian, Cal-Maine's profits also tripled year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, all while average egg prices continued to climb each month.
