Sandwiched between slabs of meat at the deli counter and a cooler of coffee creamers at El Super in East L.A., people approached the egg section with apprehension.
Signs showing prices nearing the $17 mark for 18 eggs were enough for one woman to mutter, “Necesito una gallina.”
A mile away at Food 4 Less in Boyle Heights, a crowd of shoppers craned their necks hoping to find cheaper prices on the refrigerated egg shelves.
As Rosa Lopez rolled her shopping cart, she shook her head in disbelief – 20 cage-free eggs cost $13.99.
“These prices are crazy,” Lopez said, as she reluctantly placed a carton in her cart. “I cook them for everything, I fry them by themselves, I mix them with nopales, use them in tortas, in chiles rellenos.”
The nationwide egg shortage, which has caused prices to skyrocket across the country, has impacted consumers and businesses in Boyle Heights and East L.A., but people have little option but to pay full price.
The drop in egg supply is the result of an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu that began in 2022. The virus has decimated egg-laying chicken farms, limiting egg availability across the U.S. and affecting more than 153 million poultry as of Feb. 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some grocery stores have imposed buying restrictions to control the rate of sales. A two-carton limit was in place at a local Costco, Melchor Moreno recalled his wife telling him. He said he even saw people fighting over the breakfast staple on the news.
Moreno is the owner of La Chispa de Oro, a Mexican restaurant in Boyle Heights that serves an array of breakfast items seven days a week. On any given weekday, Moreno estimates his business cooks and sells around 100 eggs. On weekends, close to 150.
A crate of eggs that used to cost Moreno and his family business $30, is now five times as much. Fortunately, the 45-year-old said he was able to find a new dealer to supply his business that specializes in dishes like huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos and, a local favorite, huevos con weenies.
“I thought it was a joke [when] I heard that people were getting caught for smuggling eggs over the border. But people are actually bringing over eggs from TJ,” Moreno said. “Now, I’m not sure what’s going to happen with all the tariffs. We’re expecting a price hike in avocados and a bunch of other stuff from Mexico.”
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada, though delayed, may spell the beginning of an international trade war if imposed. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico supplies more than half of America’s vegetable, fruit and nut imports, meaning prices for items like tomatoes, strawberries and avocados would be affected.
Additionally, Trump’s immigration policies could impact the food and agriculture industries, which heavily rely on immigrant labor. Experts warn that mass deportations “will not benefit our economy to lose millions of workers,” according to reporting from the nonprofit news site, Grist.
Trump, who campaigned on lowering prices for essentials like groceries and gasoline, has been unable to help ease the sticker shock on some of Americans’ most basic food items.
“When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one,” Trump said during an August press conference. Four months later, Trump admitted that bringing down prices would be difficult to accomplish.
Nationwide, the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs was $4.15 in December 2024, up from $2.51 the year before– that’s a 36% increase, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Further price hikes may be on the horizon according to projections from the USDA, estimating consumers could see increases of more than 20% this year.
High egg prices paired with limited availability have turned consumers to rely on local egg farmers, such as El Sereno’s Egg Sereno who sells a dozen eggs for $10, or farmers markets to buy their produce straight from Southern California farms.
At the 323 Market in City Terrace, one farmer was forced to sell a flat of 30 eggs for $30. Customers approached his stand but when they heard the prices, they walked away empty-handed.
“Customers tell me that it’s really expensive, because we all know they used to be cheaper,” Amado Damian, an employee of Markowicz Eggs Ranch, said. “It seems expensive to us too but we can’t sell them cheaper because we’d make no profit. Wherever you go right now it’s expensive.”
Boyle Heights resident Taylor Ballard said because he recently began to incorporate eggs into his diet and lived alone, he didn’t mind paying full price at Food 4 Less and was able to stretch a carton to last a week. Still, the 30-year-old said the rising price of groceries was a challenge to live with.
“Everything is getting more expensive and everything goes up faster than the money you’re making,” Ballard said. He expressed hope that those in government might be able to bring prices down but acknowledged that sometimes politicians “say a lot of things to try to get people behind them.”
Those not placing all their faith in the government to help them through economic challenges held tight to their faith in God, like Boyle Heights resident Joaquin Garcia, who was seen in the aisles at Food 4 Less.
“We’re just getting the basics to get by, and we’ve got faith that God will fix things,” Garcia said as he placed a carton of eggs in his cart. “I hope the government is taking note and is trying to fix things too, for the people, the consumers who are most affected because we’re the ones who are spending for our families.”
