By Waffle House
ReutersUSDA鈥檚 bird flu prevention efforts, including nearly 950 on-farm biosecurity assessments nationwide, have contributed to falling egg prices and supply recovery, leading major chains like Waffle House to drop surcharges
Secretary Rollins reports on USDA鈥檚 avian flu mitigation and egg price declineUS Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins this week provided an update on the US Department of Agriculture鈥檚 five-pronged strategy to combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The initiative, launched in February 2025, emphasizes biosecurity measures, regulatory relief, vaccine innovation, and increased imports.After reaching record highs in late 2024, egg prices have decreased significantly. Wholesale prices are down 64 per cent, and retail prices have declined by 27 per cent from their peak earlier in the year.Also read: H5N1 virus in US sparks global health crisis: Know its symptoms, mode of transmission, vaccine鈥淲hen President Trump entered office, the cost of eggs was at a record high, seriously denting consumers鈥 wallets after years of awful inflation. On my first day as Secretary, we got to work to implement a five-pronged strategy to improve biosecurity on the farm and lower egg prices on grocery store shelves. The plan has worked, and families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation in the April Consumer Price Index,鈥 said Secretary Rollins.鈥淲hile we are proud that over 900 biosecurity assessments have been conducted to date, resources remain available, and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall.鈥滾ive EventsAs of June 26, 2025, USDA has completed 948 on-farm biosecurity assessments, including wildlife mitigation and infrastructure evaluations. USDA covers 100 per cent of assessment costs and contributes up to 75 per cent for remediation of high-risk vulnerabilities.Poultry producers can schedule assessments by emailing poultry.biosecurity@usda.gov or calling 844-820-2234. A national dashboard with updated figures is available online.Waffle House ends egg surcharge amid national supply recoveryThe Georgia-based restaurant chain Waffle House has officially dropped the 50-cent per egg surcharge implemented earlier this year. The change reflects improving egg supply and prices.Also read: Fresh pandemic in US? New virus spreads in all 50 states amid 鈥榟uman transmission鈥 concernsIn a June 2 post on X, the company confirmed: 鈥淓gg-cellent news鈥s of June 2, the egg surcharge is officially off the menu. Thanks for understanding!鈥漌affle House serves approximately 272 million eggs annually across over 2,000 locations. The surcharge was introduced in February during a nationwide egg shortage exacerbated by the 2024 avian flu outbreak.The American Egg Board stated that recovery efforts are ongoing:鈥淭he good news for egg lovers is that ongoing recovery efforts by egg farmers, support from USDA, and a decrease in new cases of bird flu have provided stability in both egg prices and supply,鈥 said the board.As of June 1, the US housed around 285 million egg-laying hens, down 6 per cent from the previous year and 13 per cent from pre-outbreak levels in early 2022.Federal action spurs faster repopulation and importsAs part of its broader HPAI response, USDA has paid more than $70 million since February 27, 2025, to aid repopulation of flocks affected by bird flu. These higher indemnity payments provide financial support to speed up restocking efforts.To supplement domestic supply, USDA has facilitated the import of over 40 million eggs and egg products in 2025. More than 26 million dozen shell eggs were sourced from countries including Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Turkey, and South Korea.Additionally, three US facilities, one in Arkansas and two in New York, have been certified to handle imported eggs for breaking and pasteurization.Also read: US hasn’t seen human bird flu case in 3 months, experts wondering whyRegulatory relief and innovation mark key strategy pillarsIn response to producer concerns, USDA has streamlined regulations, removed redundant safety reporting requirements, and extended line-speed waivers. The agency also withdrew the proposed “Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products.”Innovation is central to the USDA鈥檚 strategy. Through the HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge, USDA received 417 funding proposals requesting $793 million. The projects focus on HPAI prevention, treatments, and vaccine research. Awards are expected in Fall 2025.USDA continues to urge all poultry producers to utilize available assessments and incentives to enhance biosecurity before the Fall migration season heightens risk of HPAI transmission.(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Read More News onUSDA bird flu strategyegg price dropWaffle House egg surchargeHighly Pathogenic Avian Influenzaavian flu mitigation effortspoultry biosecurity assessments
(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates….moreless
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onUSDA bird flu strategyegg price dropWaffle House egg surchargeHighly Pathogenic Avian Influenzaavian flu mitigation effortspoultry biosecurity assessments(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates….moreless
Explore More Stories123