Rising egg prices impacting Borderland consumers amidst inflation surge

EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- Consumers in El Paso are feeling the pinch as egg prices surge amid an increase in inflation. The latest consumer price report from the Labor Department, says prices in March are 3.5% higher compared to last year.  

While the report shows overall grocery prices remained steady month-to-month, the recent spike in egg prices has caught the attention of local Borderland shoppers. Dr. Tom Fullerton, an economics professor at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), explains that the 2024 avian flu outbreak has been a significant factor contributing to the uptick, “There's been more than 1 million birds that have been removed from the producing flocks. And as a consequence of this, just during the past four months, egg prices have risen by more than 47%, nearly 50%,” he told ABC-7.

Beef prices are also expected to go up soon, “The wildfires in the panhandle region of Texas are going to begin impacting our beef prices very quickly, within the next four weeks. And that's going to persist throughout the summer" explained Fullerton.

The combination of the bird flu outbreak and Texas wildfires has reversed much of the progress made in controlling grocery store prices. This, along with other factors like supply chain disruptions and decreased international trade, has led to a concerning trend of inflation.

Fullerton says this spike comes after a period of progress, where egg prices had declined by 57% over 2 years, however not fully returning to pre-pandemic levels. He notes that the poultry and egg sectors have struggled to recover from supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially after the 2022 avian flu outbreak.

Despite these challenges, Fullerton offers some strategies to cope with rising prices. He suggests, “One of the things they can do is buy bulk items if they've got the storage space in their pantries, in their kitchens. Another thing that border residents can do is take advantage of grocery store shopping across the river in Ciudad Juarez."

By purchasing generic items, buying in bulk, and taking advantage of certain products allowed to be imported from Juarez, border households have an advantage in buffering the effects of inflation compared to other regions.

Despite hopes for a decrease in interest rates in June, Fullerton says rates may remain high at least until September to allow prices to cool off.

Click here for a full list of approved items by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.