Although you might be seeing higher prices for a carton of eggs at the supermarket or limits on how many you can buy at once, it’s not likely you’ll be facing bare shelves at stores anytime soon, say grocers. Prices have tripled in some areas, tamping down demand as some customers aren’t willing to shell out the extra dough for a dozen eggs.

Despite the fact that there’s an egg shortage going on thanks to the recent bird flu epidemic, pushing egg prices higher, grocers in the Midwest say there are plenty of eggs at the moment for those who want them because some shoppers don’t want to pay more, reports the Des Moines Register.

Before the avian flu outbreak, a dozen extra large eggs sold for $0.99, Aaron Irlbeck, vice president of wholesale purchasing at Fareway Stores Inc. told the Register. Now those same eggs sell “in the $3 range,” he said. The chain has 110 stores in five states.

“We haven’t had trouble with supply, because the high prices are keeping demand down,” Irlbeck told the paper.

Hy-Vee Inc. also says things seem to be on an even keel, with a few delays for larger-sized eggs but nothing major.

“Looking ahead to the coming weeks, we’re hopeful that we’ll continue to receive our regular supply of eggs,” the company said.

Thus far almost 47 million birds have been destroyed because of the H5N2 virus that’s spread through Midwest farms this spring, with Iowa’s poultry population getting hit especially hard. Of those felled birds, around 35 million were egg-laying hens.

$3 for a dozen eggs? Blame bird flu [Des Moines Register]

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