Did you know that throughout history, there has been a shortage of resources people need? A notable historical example of a shortage is the widespread food scarcity experienced in Europe during the “Great Famine” of the early 1300s. Another example is 2020 when everyone was fighting over toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and Clorox wipes. Recently there has been a shortage of eggs. 

California is experiencing an egg shortage due to a severe bird flu outbreak, affecting other states. The shortage has led to higher prices and limited supplies in stores. Bird flu, The H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread to chicken farms, killing millions of hens. Local farmers believe seasonal molting is also a factor in this shortage. The egg shortage is causing problems for both stores and families. Several things, like bird flu, higher feed costs, and not enough workers, have led to fewer eggs being produced.

This has caused egg prices to go up a lot, making it harder for people and businesses to afford them. In some places, eggs are so expensive that they feel like a luxury. Because of this, many people are turning to things like plant-based egg alternatives or changing their diets to deal with the higher prices. This situation shows how easily the food supply can be affected by unexpected events.

One effect of this shortage is that some markets across California cannot find eggs. Another is that the price of eggs has nearly doubled in the last year, and some California stores charge $9 or more for a dozen eggs. The last effect is that  Small businesses, particularly in food production, struggle to secure enough eggs.

Also, I spoke with a few workers about their thoughts on the shortage. Mark manager at Walmart said, “I get asked why the prices of eggs are so high, and I have to explain to the customers that there is a shortage going around in all of the stores, and some customers get upset about it ”.I went to Superior Grocers to speak with the manager, Danny, and I also asked him his thoughts on the egg scarcity. He said, “There hadn’t been a lot of stock coming in, and I get asked when it’s coming I, but I don’t know because the shortest messing everything up”.

I also interviewed some of the customers from Walmart and Superior Grocers. I interviewed a Walmart customer named Alex, who shared his opinion on egg scarcity. He said, “I remember when the eggs used to be  1.63  and now they are like almost 9 bucks for a dozen”.I also spoke with another person from Walmart. Her name was Emilly, and she stated, “These prices are crazy just for some eggs”.I interviewed two people from  Superior Grocers, Michael and David. David said, “I wouldn’t pay that much for some eggs”.Michael stated, “I didn’t even know that there was a shortage of eggs until I saw the sign saying so”.

The egg shortage in the U.S. is due to the avian flu, supply chain issues, and inflation. The flu killed many chickens, and the pandemic made it harder to get eggs to stores, causing prices to rise. This sparked political debate, with conservatives wanting less government involvement and liberals wanting help for farmers and price control. There have been investigations into possible price gouging by big companies, and some states want more support for local farmers, while others want fewer regulations. The shortage shows how politics and economics are connected.

In an interview, President  Donald Trump said, “shut up about egg prices”.According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Consumer Price Index, the price of eggs rose 10.4% in February alone and 15.2% in January. The steep hikes contributed to the nearly 60% price increase since February of last year due to the worsening bird flu outbreak and inflation as a whole.

In conclusion, the egg shortage has caused a lot of problems for both consumers and farmers. Prices have gone up, and it’s been harder to find eggs in stores. This shortage happened because of factors like disease outbreaks and rising production costs. While things might improve in the future, it’s clear that the situation has made it harder for people to get this common food. Hopefully, as things get back to normal, egg prices will stabilize, and the supply will catch up.