Hailey Whitlock, Staff Writer 

On Feb. 26, 2025, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a comprehensive plan to mitigate the impact of avian bird flu in an effort to drive down egg prices. In an article Rollins penned for the Wall Street Journal, she stated, “In many cases, families are seeing prices of $6, $7, $10 or more [per dozen of eggs]. This is due in part to continuing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has devastated American poultry farmers and slashed the egg supply over the last two years.” 

As the egg supply has dwindled, prices have soared for this common necessity, prompting growing concerns about the affordability of this staple. According to AP News, the most recent consumer price index reported the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities to be $4.95 in January 2025, more than double the $2.04 cost in August 2023. 

With consumers struggling under these hefty price tags, Rollins announced a five-prong strategy to address the issue. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the plan involves spending up to $1 billion dollars on the crisis, allocating $500 million towards aiding U.S. poultry producers in implementing gold-standard biosecurity measures. The plan also calls for $400 million in financial relief to the farmers whose flocks have been affected by the avian flu and the dedication of $100 million to researching vaccines and therapeutics. 

Beyond funding commitments to tackle this issue, Rollins outlined plans to remove what she deemed “unnecessary regulatory burdens on the chicken and egg industry” in an effort to increase supply. As recorded in the Wall Street Journal, she referenced California’s Proposition 12 which established minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, indicating her displeasure with the average egg price per dozen in California being $9.68. She claims a desire to help protect egg producers from these exacting guidelines, while also supporting initiatives to prompt families to raise their own backyard chickens. 

The fifth part of the plan includes relying more heavily on importing eggs in the short-term. According to USA Today, Turkey, one of the world’s largest exporters of eggs, predicts that they will supply the U.S. with approximately 420 million eggs, a steep increase from the previous year in which only 70 million eggs were supplied. As per USA Today, Rollins stated, “We will proceed with imports only if the eggs meet stringent U.S. safety standards and if we determine that doing so won’t jeopardize American farmers’ access to markets in the future.” 
As mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, Rollins indicated, “This five-point strategy won’t erase the problem overnight, but we’re confident that it will restore stability to the egg market over the next three to six months. This approach will also ensure stability over the next four years and beyond. American farmers need relief, and American consumers need affordable food. To every family struggling to buy eggs: We hear you, we’re fighting for you, and help is on the way.”