Roundup: U.S. egg crisis deepens as price forecast to soar, U.S. government unveils response

SACRAMENTO, the United States, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Egg prices in the United States have hit record highs, reaching an average of 8.11 U.S. dollars per dozen as of Wednesday, a 53 percent increase from a year earlier, as a devastating bird flu outbreak continues to decimate the country's egg-laying hen population.

The current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, which began in 2022, has forced farmers to kill approximately 166 million laying hens over the past three years, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The crisis intensified in early 2025, with about 18.8 million commercial egg layers affected by HPAI in January alone -- the highest monthly total since the outbreak began.