Inflation in the United States has spiked to levels not seen in decades. Over the past year, prices have risen 7.1%, though some categories have seen higher increases. This includes food at 10.6% and energy at 13.1%. One food item that is a staple for many Americans: eggs. Typically a cheap source of protein, egg prices have skyrocketed. High egg prices
might have you second-guessing the purchase. With inflation going around the country. One of the main topics that have been circulating is the skyrocketing prices of eggs. The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November 2022, up from $1.72 a year earlier, according to the latest government data. That’s putting stress on consumer budgets and the bottom lines of restaurants, bakeries and other food producers that rely heavily on eggs. In South Carolina the conversation about eggs has been discussed daily and even weekly among residents and high authorities of South Carolina. Sandra Evans who runs the Manna House Pantry in Rock Hill, South Carolina stated that she has seen a significant increase of residents who come to the food drive every Saturday getting food and looking for eggs because the cost of food has gone up and people can not afford it anymore. She also stated that in 2022 they were only told to serve York County Residents but now in 2023 they can now serve any South Carolina Resident. In South Carolina, B&P Farm Fresh Eggs has been selling eggs in the Elgin community for three years. With 300 chickens, they say they've seen an increase in business since store prices have soared. They take orders for eggs through their Facebook page, which they say has grown approximately 300 people just in the last week alone, forcing them to now limit people to ordering 2 dozen max, until they finish expanding. Researcher Joey Von Nessen recently stated in an interview that it is unknown exactly when egg prices will fall in South Carolina, but they won’t drop anytime soon. We’re looking at months, not weeks for prices to go down, we need to get production up. From the perspective of South Carolinians, we need to prepare for eggs to remain high in price in the short term.
David Shields who is a Distinguished Professor of English at University of South Carolina and who is the author of “Southern Food Studies” stated that “ For someone who studies food when I am not teaching, this egg inflation has shown much of how fast these farms are trying to produce more eggs than ever.” The U.S. House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy recently published an analysis showing that some corporations have used inflation as an excuse to hike prices at rates higher than their costs have increased. This has allowed companies to increase their profit margins to some of the highest levels since the 1950s.Overall, it’s likely that prices will fall eventually. However, it is uncertain whether they will return to previous levels or hit a plateau above the historical range of about $1 to $2 per dozen that has existed since 1990.
12 Large Grade A Carton, Captured By Isaac Smith, 2023
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