$3 for a dozen eggs? Blame bird flu

Egg prices have tripled at area supermarkets courtesy of the bird flu, but supplies continue to hold steady for the moment, grocers said.

A carton of 12 extra large eggs had been selling for 99 cents before the bird flu pummeled the Midwest. Now those eggs are selling "in the $3 range," Aaron Irlbeck, vice president of wholesale purchasing at Fareway Stores Inc., said. The Boone-based grocer has 110 stores in five states.

"We haven't had trouble with supply, because the high prices are keeping demand down," Irlbeck said.

The H5N2 virus has spread widely through Midwest farms since early spring, particularly in Iowa, the nation's largest egg producer — resulting in nearly 47 million birds dead. About 35 million of those birds were egg-laying hens.

Fareway gets its eggs from two main sources: Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, Ind., and Sparbo Farms in Litchfield, Minn. Both companies get eggs from Iowa farms.

"They have been great about getting us product," Irlbeck said.

Hy-Vee Inc. said it has seen a few delays on larger-sized eggs, but no significant shortages.

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

Hy-Vee's egg suppliers have asked the grocery chain and other retailers to stop running egg promotions, which Hy-Vee agreed to do.

Hy-Vee won't stockpile eggs to maintain supplies because of the product's shelf life, the company said.

Egg prices and supplies are expected to fluctuate over the next few years as the market recovers, Hy-Vee said.

Ben Partridge, marketing coordinator for New Pioneer Food Co-op, which has stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids, said the bird flu has not had an impact on the cooperative's supply or prices, though it's something they're bracing for.

"We haven't necessarily seen anything change on our shelves for the consumer," said Partridge, noting, however, that the price for eggs used by the co-op's offsite production kitchen has increased.

New Pi stocks locally produced cage-free eggs from Cedar Ridge Farm in Elgin, Farmer's Henhouse in Kalona and Marvin Hotz, a farmer near Iowa City, along with a specialty product from Texas. The eggs sell between $2.99 and $3.99, which has remained unchanged in the wake of the bird flu, Partridge said.

Josh O'Leary contributed to this report. Patt Johnson is a reporter for The Des Moines Register.