Video: Higher Egg Costs

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CLAY COUNTY, Miss.(WCBI)–The bird flu resulting in death is effecting the price of eggs at grocery stores.

When organic egg farmer Dustin Pinion takes his produce to farmers markets, he finds that buyers are looking closer at what his hens are producing. In the last few weeks, two local grocery stores in Columbus have raised their prices to ($2.69) two dollars and sixty-nine cents a dozen for grade A eggs.

“I noticed an increase in customers asking for eggs because they see an increase in price at the super markets. So now they are looking for other sources for eggs at a cheaper price,” said Dustin Pinion/ Beaverdam Fresh Farms.

A fresher more naturally produced egg may cost more, but given the death of many chickens due to the disease, buyers are considering Pinions eggs even a bargain at ($4.50} four fifty a dozen.

“If I don’t, you know, have a bird disease on the farm or anything taking away my production costs, nothing changes with me. So, I am not trying to charge my customers more when my costs haven’t changed,” said Dustin Pinion/ Beaverdam Fresh Farms.

On the Cedar Bluff farm there is no fear of bird flu wiping out the poultry population while it continues to cause higher prices in the stores.

“Pasture poultry operations like mine have a little more resiliency to bird flu. You don’t, it’s very uncommon for a pasture raised operation to have that sort of disease on the farm,” said Dustin Pinion/ Beaverdam Fresh Farms.

The impact from the loss of poultry due to bird flu is expected to be felt in 2016. Keep in mind, we here in North Mississippi pay more per dozen for Grade A eggs than in some other parts of the country.

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NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) -The rising cost of eggs may also hit your wallet at your favorite diner as well. The thirty dozen Grade A eggs that this West Point restaurant uses cost eighty dollars and twenty-four cents.

According to owners at Cathy’s Restaurant, if prices continue to rise they may have to pass those costs on to their customers.

A Starkville restaurant has already raised its cost of three egg items an extra fifty cents.