Bird flu raises fears of speculation, with the price of a dozen eggs reaching more than 3.10 euros

As usually happens in any crisis,… Fear of speculation It grows with the spread of bird flu. As reported by the newspaper EL ESPAÑOL-Invertia, new preventive measures took effect on Monday to limit the impact of the disease, which is depleting farms and dramatically raising egg prices.

Specifically, up to 1,200 municipalities confined chickens and hens, with Castile and León, Catalonia and Andalusia being the most affected communities, due to the spread of bird flu.

In light of this situation, the Minister of Agriculture said, Luis PlanasHe warned yesterday that we must be “extremely vigilant so that no one takes advantage of a situation like this to carry out any kind of speculation” regarding egg prices, which… They have become about 18% more expensive in the past year.

Currently, a dozen eggs in the country’s main supermarkets cost more than €3.10. We are talking about large chains such as Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, Eroski, Dia, Consum, Alcampo or Aldi.

The price range on a standard egg carton fluctuates Between 3.10 and 3.30 euros. Although it should be taken into account that free-range, organic or XL varieties can exceed 4 euros.

At the end of 2024, ten months earlier, the cost range for eggs started at the lowest prices and there was a greater range in amounts between the cheapest and the most expensive. At that time, it cost between 2.20 and 3.30 euros to buy a dozen eggs in the same supermarkets.

Therefore, as a result of bird flu and other associated phenomena (high production costs, increased international demand, or pressure from intermediaries), the average price of a dozen eggs in Spain has become more expensive so far this year. From 2.75 to 3.20 euros.

That is approximately 50 cents. And your The initial cost to the end consumer increased by 90 cents, from 2.20 to 3.10 euros. It seems that it has not reached its ceiling yet.

Meanwhile, as a closer reference, in the United States, where the poultry crisis was also (largely) felt, at the beginning of the year, a dozen chickens cost $14 (about 12 euros at the current exchange rate) because they lost precisely tens of millions of chickens.

The egg, increasingly necessary

Progress of bird flu, which has been forced since this summer Sacrificing 5% of the chicken population in Spainpromises to complicate the near future of a product that is becoming increasingly essential in homes.

because Since 2019, its consumption has increased by 17%. Supports the Spanish Federation of Companies in the Egg and Egg Products Production Sector (Federovo). This is a trend linked to a change in perception of eggs, which were gaining popularity as a healthy product due to their protein content.

But it was hyperinflation in 2022 that gave it a decisive boost. With the increase in the shopping basket, especially olive oil, which reached 8 euros, Many families reduced the consumption of expensive fruits and fish and increased the purchase of eggs.which was still within everyone’s reach.

The result is this In the past two years, its consumption has risen by more than 30%, according to agriculture data. The acceleration was so marked that the supply on farms could not keep up, and this imbalance was one of the main elements that caused the cost of these farms to rise by 18% last year.

Bird flu comes to put pressure on this scenario. Because even if no more infections are detected and therefore no greater impact, already slaughtered chickens will be replaced and It will take six months to return to normal displayAccording to Federovo’s calculations, he admits that only what has been seen so far “has a significant impact” on the rise in egg prices.

Without knowing what will happen now that the cold has led to quarantine, forecasting will be another element to consider for farms selling their stock from now on; Suddenly they could have something more valuable in their hands than they did three months ago.