持續(xù)的禽流感疫情與節(jié)日烘焙需求的疊加,使得雞蛋價格迎來了新一輪的上漲。
盡管雞蛋價格有所上漲,但遠(yuǎn)未達到近兩年前的峰值。貿(mào)易組織美國雞蛋委員會(American Egg Board)指出,目前雜貨店遇到的雞蛋短缺現(xiàn)象僅限于個別情況,并且是暫時性的。
美國雞蛋委員會總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官艾米麗·梅茨(Emily Metz)表示:“這些問題正迅速得到解決,有時甚至能在一天之內(nèi)得到妥善處理?!?/p>
根據(jù)美國勞工統(tǒng)計局(Bureau of Labor Statistics)提供的數(shù)據(jù),10月份美國城市地區(qū)一打雞蛋的平均售價為3.37美元。相較于9月份,這一價格有所回落,較2023年1月的4.82美元大幅下降。然而,與2023年同期相比,當(dāng)前價格仍上漲了63%,當(dāng)時一打雞蛋的平均售價僅為2.07美元。
在某些情況下,超市可能是物價飛漲的主要推手。今年8月,在聯(lián)邦貿(mào)易委員會(Federal Trade Commission)試圖阻止克羅格(Kroger)與艾伯森(Albertsons)合并的案件中,克羅格負(fù)責(zé)定價的高級主管在法庭作證時承認(rèn),該公司提高了牛奶和雞蛋的成本,使其增幅超出了通貨膨脹的水平。
然而,雞蛋價格上漲并非全無其他原因。梅茨指出,雞蛋行業(yè)在每年的11月和12月都會迎來需求高峰期。
她說:"節(jié)日烘焙、南瓜派、餡料都離不開雞蛋?!?/p>
禽流感是價格上漲的另一大重要原因。自2022年2月爆發(fā)的禽流感疫情已導(dǎo)致超過1.11億只禽類被宰殺,其中以蛋雞為主。一旦發(fā)現(xiàn)病毒,養(yǎng)殖場里的家禽無一例外全被宰殺,以遏制疫情擴散。
受禽流感影響,僅本月就有超過600萬只家禽被宰殺。盡管這一數(shù)字在美國總計3.77億只蛋雞中占比相對較小,但根據(jù)美國農(nóng)業(yè)部(U.S. Department of Agriculture)的最新數(shù)據(jù),過去一年內(nèi)雞群數(shù)量減少了約3%,導(dǎo)致雞蛋產(chǎn)量下降了4%。
由于加州是受禽流感影響最嚴(yán)重的州之一,最新一波禽流感導(dǎo)致非籠養(yǎng)雞蛋供應(yīng)緊張。加州、內(nèi)華達州、華盛頓州和俄勒岡州都要求在本州銷售的雞蛋必須是非籠養(yǎng)雞蛋。
梅茨說:“我們不得不從國內(nèi)其他無籠養(yǎng)雞蛋產(chǎn)區(qū)調(diào)撥雞蛋,以彌補那些僅準(zhǔn)許銷售無籠養(yǎng)雞蛋的州所面臨的供應(yīng)短缺。”
亞利桑那州、科羅拉多州和密歇根州的無籠養(yǎng)要求將于明年生效,羅德島州和猶他州的無籠養(yǎng)要求將于2030年生效。
對這種特殊雞蛋的需求也可能導(dǎo)致禽流感,這種病毒通過野生鳥類遷徙經(jīng)過農(nóng)場時留下的糞便傳播。愛荷華州立大學(xué)(Iowa State University)教授、農(nóng)業(yè)經(jīng)濟學(xué)家查德·哈特(Chad Hart)指出,放任雞在農(nóng)場自由活動會使它們面臨更大的風(fēng)險。
哈特說:“很難控制家禽和野生鳥類之間的接觸。由于我們要求雞蛋行業(yè)采取前所未有的生產(chǎn)方式,這一變革打開了某些病媒傳播的渠道?!?/p>
梅茨說,氣候變化和極端天氣也使部分野生鳥類偏離了遷徙路線。
她說:“部分鳥類受颶風(fēng)侵襲與野火肆虐的影響被迫逃離家園,它們?nèi)缃癫坏貌贿w徙至那些原本不在其遷徙路線上的地區(qū),或是在一年中通常不會選擇遷徙的時段進行遷徙。這些都是我們的養(yǎng)殖戶必須應(yīng)對的新變量?!?/p>
哈特說,雞蛋行業(yè)正致力于恢復(fù)雞群規(guī)模,但這會限制供應(yīng),因為養(yǎng)殖戶必須保留部分雞蛋用于孵化新雞苗。
盡管如此,美國家禽養(yǎng)殖場仍迎來一絲曙光。哈特指出,養(yǎng)殖戶成本中占比高達70%的雞飼料價格,在經(jīng)歷2020年至2022年間的翻一番后,現(xiàn)已顯著回落。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
持續(xù)的禽流感疫情與節(jié)日烘焙需求的疊加,使得雞蛋價格迎來了新一輪的上漲。
盡管雞蛋價格有所上漲,但遠(yuǎn)未達到近兩年前的峰值。貿(mào)易組織美國雞蛋委員會(American Egg Board)指出,目前雜貨店遇到的雞蛋短缺現(xiàn)象僅限于個別情況,并且是暫時性的。
美國雞蛋委員會總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官艾米麗·梅茨(Emily Metz)表示:“這些問題正迅速得到解決,有時甚至能在一天之內(nèi)得到妥善處理?!?/p>
根據(jù)美國勞工統(tǒng)計局(Bureau of Labor Statistics)提供的數(shù)據(jù),10月份美國城市地區(qū)一打雞蛋的平均售價為3.37美元。相較于9月份,這一價格有所回落,較2023年1月的4.82美元大幅下降。然而,與2023年同期相比,當(dāng)前價格仍上漲了63%,當(dāng)時一打雞蛋的平均售價僅為2.07美元。
在某些情況下,超市可能是物價飛漲的主要推手。今年8月,在聯(lián)邦貿(mào)易委員會(Federal Trade Commission)試圖阻止克羅格(Kroger)與艾伯森(Albertsons)合并的案件中,克羅格負(fù)責(zé)定價的高級主管在法庭作證時承認(rèn),該公司提高了牛奶和雞蛋的成本,使其增幅超出了通貨膨脹的水平。
然而,雞蛋價格上漲并非全無其他原因。梅茨指出,雞蛋行業(yè)在每年的11月和12月都會迎來需求高峰期。
她說:"節(jié)日烘焙、南瓜派、餡料都離不開雞蛋?!?/p>
禽流感是價格上漲的另一大重要原因。自2022年2月爆發(fā)的禽流感疫情已導(dǎo)致超過1.11億只禽類被宰殺,其中以蛋雞為主。一旦發(fā)現(xiàn)病毒,養(yǎng)殖場里的家禽無一例外全被宰殺,以遏制疫情擴散。
受禽流感影響,僅本月就有超過600萬只家禽被宰殺。盡管這一數(shù)字在美國總計3.77億只蛋雞中占比相對較小,但根據(jù)美國農(nóng)業(yè)部(U.S. Department of Agriculture)的最新數(shù)據(jù),過去一年內(nèi)雞群數(shù)量減少了約3%,導(dǎo)致雞蛋產(chǎn)量下降了4%。
由于加州是受禽流感影響最嚴(yán)重的州之一,最新一波禽流感導(dǎo)致非籠養(yǎng)雞蛋供應(yīng)緊張。加州、內(nèi)華達州、華盛頓州和俄勒岡州都要求在本州銷售的雞蛋必須是非籠養(yǎng)雞蛋。
梅茨說:“我們不得不從國內(nèi)其他無籠養(yǎng)雞蛋產(chǎn)區(qū)調(diào)撥雞蛋,以彌補那些僅準(zhǔn)許銷售無籠養(yǎng)雞蛋的州所面臨的供應(yīng)短缺。”
亞利桑那州、科羅拉多州和密歇根州的無籠養(yǎng)要求將于明年生效,羅德島州和猶他州的無籠養(yǎng)要求將于2030年生效。
對這種特殊雞蛋的需求也可能導(dǎo)致禽流感,這種病毒通過野生鳥類遷徙經(jīng)過農(nóng)場時留下的糞便傳播。愛荷華州立大學(xué)(Iowa State University)教授、農(nóng)業(yè)經(jīng)濟學(xué)家查德·哈特(Chad Hart)指出,放任雞在農(nóng)場自由活動會使它們面臨更大的風(fēng)險。
哈特說:“很難控制家禽和野生鳥類之間的接觸。由于我們要求雞蛋行業(yè)采取前所未有的生產(chǎn)方式,這一變革打開了某些病媒傳播的渠道?!?/p>
梅茨說,氣候變化和極端天氣也使部分野生鳥類偏離了遷徙路線。
她說:“部分鳥類受颶風(fēng)侵襲與野火肆虐的影響被迫逃離家園,它們?nèi)缃癫坏貌贿w徙至那些原本不在其遷徙路線上的地區(qū),或是在一年中通常不會選擇遷徙的時段進行遷徙。這些都是我們的養(yǎng)殖戶必須應(yīng)對的新變量?!?/p>
哈特說,雞蛋行業(yè)正致力于恢復(fù)雞群規(guī)模,但這會限制供應(yīng),因為養(yǎng)殖戶必須保留部分雞蛋用于孵化新雞苗。
盡管如此,美國家禽養(yǎng)殖場仍迎來一絲曙光。哈特指出,養(yǎng)殖戶成本中占比高達70%的雞飼料價格,在經(jīng)歷2020年至2022年間的翻一番后,現(xiàn)已顯著回落。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
Egg prices are rising once more as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with the high demand of the holiday baking season.
But prices are still far from the recent peak they reached almost two years ago. And the American Egg Board, a trade group, says egg shortages at grocery stores have been isolated and temporary so far.
“Those are being rapidly corrected, sometimes within a day,” said Emily Metz, the Egg Board’s president and chief executive officer.
The average price for a dozen eggs in U.S. cities was $3.37 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was down slightly from September, and down significantly from January 2023, when the average price soared to $4.82. But it was up 63% from October 2023, when a dozen eggs cost an average of $2.07.
Sometimes, supermarkets may be to blame for price spikes. During testimony in August in the Federal Trade Commission’s case seeking to block Kroger’s merger with Albertsons, Kroger’s senior director for pricing acknowledged that the company has raised the cost of milk and eggs beyond the levels of inflation.
But there are other factors behind the price increases. Metz said the egg industry sees its highest demand in November and December, for example.
“You can’t have your holiday baking, your pumpkin pie, your stuffing, without eggs,” she said.
Avian influenza is another big reason for the higher prices. The current bird flu outbreak that began in February 2022 has led to the slaughter of more than 111 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. Anytime the virus is found, every bird on a farm is killed to limit the spread of the disease.
More than 6 million birds have been slaughtered just this month because of bird flu. They were a relatively small part of the total U.S. egg-laying flock of 377 million chickens. Still, the flock is down about 3% over the past year, contributing to a 4% drop in egg production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The latest wave of bird flu is scrambling supplies of cage-free eggs because California has been among the hardest hit states. California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon all require eggs sold in their states to be cage-free.
“We’re having to move eggs from other areas of the country that are producing cage-free to cover that low supply in those states, because those states only allow for cage-free eggs to be sold,” Metz said.
Cage-free requirements are set to go into effect in Arizona, Colorado and Michigan next year and in Rhode Island and Utah in 2030.
Demand for such specialty eggs may also be contributing to avian flu, which is spread through the droppings of wild birds as they migrate past farms. Allowing chickens to roam more freely puts them at greater risk, said Chad Hart, a professor and agricultural economist at Iowa State University.
“It’s really hard to control that interaction between domesticated birds and wild birds,” Hart said. “Some of those vectors have been opened up because we’re asking the egg industry to produce in ways that we didn’t ask them to before.”
Metz said climate change and extreme weather are also blowing some wild birds off course.
“We have birds that have been displaced by hurricanes, by wildfires, and those birds are now circulating in areas that they otherwise might not circulate or at times of the year that they otherwise may not be circulating,” she said. “And those are all new variables that our farmers are having to deal with.”
Hart said the egg industry is trying to rebuild the flock, but that also can limit supplies, since farmers have to hold back some eggs to hatch into new chickens.
Still, there is some good news on U.S. poultry farms. The price of chicken feed — which represents 70% of a farmer’s costs — has fallen significantly after doubling between 2020 and 2022, Hart said.