A farm group is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine the rise for signs of price gouging from top egg companies.
The latest concern is eggs, the price of which was up 138% in December from a year prior, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Various groups from regulators to farmers and industry officials have often argued in recent years about the power of top agriculture firms to set prices and drive up what consumers pay for groceries.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pointed to a record outbreak of avian flu as a reason for the high prices.
Nearly 58 million chickens and turkeys have been killed by avian flu or to control the spread of the virus since the beginning of 2022, mostly in March and April, according to the USDA.
U.S. egg production was about 5% lower in October compared to last year, and egg inventories were down 29% in December compared to the beginning of the year, a significant drop, but one that may not explain record-high prices, said Basel Musharbash, an attorney with Farm Action.
Source: US farm group calls for probe of high egg prices
