This is probably a combination of all three:
1) Supply: Chickens go from egg to egg producers in about 6 months. We are likely also importing eggs now that we wouldn't be able to import at normal prices. The bird flu stuff has been a worry since well before December.
2) Seasonal demand: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years means family get togethers, and eggs are cheap protein.
3) Elastic demand: Might have been some switching to egg substitutes or more shelf-stable eggs in the short run. I could see some fast food joints etc. moving to powdered eggs in the very short term. There might be enough of this around to help demand for a month or so. Also, places that feed A LOT of people, like, say, prisons, rely on eggs for protein. They might have been able to switch to something else in the short term.
Regardless, it was silly for the left to make a big deal about this, because it is clear that this is a problem that will be fixed by the market pretty quickly.
And, eggs have special importance to the Latino community due to how much protein Latinos get from eggs compared to other sub-cultures in the US. It is a more important part of their diet than many other sectors of America. So, making progress on egg prices, and being seen as doing something about egg prices, has some political importance.
1) Supply: Chickens go from egg to egg producers in about 6 months. We are likely also importing eggs now that we wouldn't be able to import at normal prices. The bird flu stuff has been a worry since well before December.
2) Seasonal demand: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years means family get togethers, and eggs are cheap protein.
3) Elastic demand: Might have been some switching to egg substitutes or more shelf-stable eggs in the short run. I could see some fast food joints etc. moving to powdered eggs in the very short term. There might be enough of this around to help demand for a month or so. Also, places that feed A LOT of people, like, say, prisons, rely on eggs for protein. They might have been able to switch to something else in the short term.
Regardless, it was silly for the left to make a big deal about this, because it is clear that this is a problem that will be fixed by the market pretty quickly.
And, eggs have special importance to the Latino community due to how much protein Latinos get from eggs compared to other sub-cultures in the US. It is a more important part of their diet than many other sectors of America. So, making progress on egg prices, and being seen as doing something about egg prices, has some political importance.
