Low egg prices are squeezing poultry producers
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Source: American Farm Bureau
Egg markets have encountered massive volatility since outbreaks of HPAI began in 2022. Retail shell egg prices hit a record level in 2025 but are now nearly 60% lower than a year ago as supplies have strengthened and HPAI cases declined. This demonstrates growing resilience in the poultry industry, but as egg supplies rebound, prices are now falling while expenses remain elevated, threatening farm profitability.
U.S. Egg Market Structure
According to USDA’s 2025 Chickens and Eggs Summary, a total of 105.25 billion eggs were produced in the United States in 2025, down about 3.9 billion eggs or 4% from 2024 — reflecting impacts from HPAI. All eggs produced for human consumption are called table eggs. About 90.2 billion eggs, or 86% of all eggs produced in 2025, were table eggs, while 15.2 billion, or about 14%, were hatching eggs used for producing chickens. Out of the table eggs produced for human consumption, about 30%, or 31.6 billion, commonly called breaker eggs, went to specialized breaking facilities for the liquid egg market. The liquid eggs are then converted into ingredients for industrial bakers, the food service industry or other food manufacturers. The remaining unbroken table eggs, sold in cartons at the grocery store, are called shell eggs. About 60% of all eggs produced in the U.S. in 2025, or about 63.2 billion eggs, were shell eggs.
Prices and Volatility
Farmgate prices for eggs have fallen sharply in 2026. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) began reporting weekly data for the average price paid to egg producers in the Midwest region for large white shell eggs in January 2025. AMS reports the average price paid to Midwestern egg producers for white shell eggs for the week of May 8, 2026, was 25 cents per dozen, down $3.19 per dozen or 93%, from the same week in 2025.
Prices for breaker eggs have fallen even more. According to AMS, the average national price paid for a dozen breaking stock eggs in April was just 8.73 cents per dozen, 96% lower than $2.48 per dozen in April 2025.
In general, the market for table eggs is considered more profitable than the market for breaker eggs. This is because table eggs are sold more directly to consumers with minimal processing. This returns a larger share of every consumer’s dollar spent on food to the farmer.
According to USDA-Economic Research Service’s (ERS) latest Food Dollar Series, fresh eggs returned 69.1 cents per dollar to the farmer in 2024. Using combined data from USDA AMS and ERS, the estimated farmer’s share of the retail dollar for fresh eggs was a record high 82.8 cents in 2025, up 19 cents from 2024. Using the same method, the estimated farmer’s share of the U.S. retail food dollar for fresh eggs for January-March 2026 is a record low at 37.6 cents, down 45.2 cents or 55% from the 2025 estimate. This underscores the high level of volatility egg farmers are experiencing in today’s markets.
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