LAKESIDE, CA — The price of eggs seems to be skyrocketing, and now they’re hard to find, even if you’re willing to pay. Bird flu has been causing supply problems since March, and people in San Diego are finally feeling it.
Hilliker’s Ranch Fresh Eggs explains that the problem started on the East Coast, but “it just kept moving west and suddenly it was in the Midwest, and now it’s on the West Coast. It killed over 57 million birds,” said Frank Hilliker.
People showed up at the ranch until the last minute on Friday, happy to finally find eggs in storage.
Santee residents Chris Lefaiver and Tracy Gulino said their local grocery stores were empty, and when they did find eggs, the price was high.
“We paid over seven dollars for a 12-pack at Vons and I said I wouldn’t do it again,” said Gulino.
The ranch is said to have around 30,000 hens that lay over 25,000 eggs a day.
“If there was avian flu on this farm, we would have to put down every bird. One bird gets it, we have to put them all to sleep and that’s the last thing we want,” Hilliker said.
Hilliker says the ranch sets aside a lot of eggs to sell directly to the community, and they try to keep prices fair and consistent even when the going gets tough. The other side of the business is wholesale.
“The egg market is controlled by supply and demand. The government sends a price every week and we track it,” Hilliker said.
This is a big factor for which we are seeing an increase in prices.
“A few weeks ago the wholesale market was at an all-time high, and now it’s starting to fall, so eventually as the supply chain catches up, we’re going to start seeing more affordable eggs in the store,” Hilliker said.
