Egg Prices Halve During Trump’s Second Term

Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the average retail price of a dozen eggs has fallen from $4.95 to $2.27 by August 2025, a decline of more than 50 %. The drop follows a record high of $6.23 in March 2025, which occurred after a severe wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) decimated U.S. flocks.

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The primary driver, according to emeritus economics professor Michael Walden, was the recovery of egg-laying hens after the avian-flu outbreaks:

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“That's been the big factor, and it's overwhelming everything else,” — Michael Walden, an emeritus professor of economics at North Carolina State University

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The Trump administration responded with a $1 billion biosecurity package announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in February 2025, including up to $500 million for farm-level biosecurity upgrades and $400 million in compensation for culled birds. The USDA also expanded egg imports, which rose to 121 million dozen-equivalent in 2025 from 29.8 million the prior year.

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Mark Jordan of LEAP Market Analytics noted that while imports helped replenish supply, “that’s a small impact” compared with the effect of improved biosecurity.

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• Flock loss: USDA’s Economic Research Service reports ~51 million hens died or were euthanized between October 2024 and March 2025.

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• Price trajectory: $6.23 per dozen (March 2025) -> $2.27 per dozen (August 2025).

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• Imports: 121 million dozen-equivalent in 2025 vs. 29.8 million in 2024.

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• Domestic output: U.S. farms produce roughly 90 billion eggs annually.

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The Justice Department and 17 states settled a price-fixing case against Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch and Versova, alleging coordinated price inflation.

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Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, echoed the administration’s efforts:

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“I think those initiatives have advanced, but we've also benefitted in the industry because bird flu is very cyclical,” — Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, an industry marketing group

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Metz also highlighted broader cost pressures on producers, including higher diesel, corn, soybean meal, fertilizer, and packaging expenses tied to tariffs and the U.S.-Iran conflict.

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Eggs remain an inelastic staple; despite price volatility, demand stays steady. Lower prices have eased grocery bills for households, yet industry experts warn that lingering input-cost inflation could re-elevate food prices if trade tensions or disease outbreaks recur.

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