Ag Commissioner Mike Strain Suggests Importing Eggs to Lower Prices

There isn't anybody who's been in the grocery store in the past few months that hasn't dealt with the exorbitant cost of eggs.  Or maybe it's the 'eggsorbitant' cost of eggs. Sorry, trying to inject a little humor into a basically humorless situation.

But the crisis hasn't gone unnoticed by Louisiana state officials.  Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain recently met with Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, about how to get a handle on egg prices, and what to do about the effects of Bird Influenza.

“$500 million for increased biosecurity. The main thing we need to stop it from getting into the chicken house. $400 million in financial relief who have lost their farms. $1100 for vaccine research to expedite the development of vaccines, and that’s for vaccines for livestock and for poultry.” Ag Commissioner Mike Strain

Strain recommends allowing the import of foreign eggs into the US to help drop the prices, to give poultry farmers time to rebuild their flocks of laying hens, and hence, the egg supply. But Strain warns it won't happen overnight.

“And you just can’t get eggs overnight. Remember you have to have the hens to lay fertilized eggs and then you raise the pullets and those then become the next generation to be egg-laying hens or “table eggs.” So, it takes a while to rebuild the population.”

What Can You Do to Combat High Egg Prices?

Another solution some people are looking into is raising chickens in their backyard to have fresh eggs. There are even options for renting chickens to start off to see if it's something you'l like to pursue.  Of course, this comes at it's own costs and risks that you can read more about HERE.

Commissioner Strain joked:

“I tell you what, if egg prices go up another 47% there’s gonna be riots.”