US: egg prices drop but recovery to pre-2024 levels remains uncertain

US egg prices, which had surged due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks, have recently declined. While prices are expected to continue decreasing, the extent of this decrease will be limited, influenced by factors such as feed costs and the recovery rate of the national hen population. Prices have been so high that there have been recent incidences of egg theft from US stores and restaurants, along with smuggling of cheaper eggs into the US from both Canada and Mexico.