Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has had a major impact on the price of eggs. The first detection in a commercial laying flock was in February 2022, the most recent was in December. To date, about 5.76 million birds have been depopulated due to HPAI and 43.78 million have been commercial layers.
As a result, 2022 egg production was down about 363.6 million dozen from the 2019/2020 average. In December 2022, egg prices in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) “food at home” category for retail prices were up 59.9 percent on the year, reflecting the production drop. This is a significant headwind moving into Easter, which is two months from today. However, beyond the grocery store, the cost of eggs is a...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
