Egg prices in Honolulu increased in Dec. 2024, primarily because of concerns over the avian flu.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture collected data from 2021 to 2024, which showed the price for a dozen locally produced eggs rose by 28.4% from $6.91 to $8.87 while the price of imported mainland eggs increased by 51.8% from $5.50 to $8.35.
However, the price gap between mainland and local eggs narrowed, decreasing to 6.2% in 2024 from 8.8% in 2023.
From 2023 to 2024, local egg prices saw a small increase, which HDOA attributed to a sharp rise in supply from a local farm. During this same period, mainland egg prices increased significantly, rising by 51.8% for a carton of 12 eggs and 78.3% for a carton of 18 eggs. The price of mainland eggs rose so much because of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.
“The increase in local production of eggs has been closing the price gap with imported mainland eggs,” Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture, said in a statement. “The avian influenza outbreak on the mainland is another example of why food security in Hawaii is so important. Supporting local farmers and ranchers helps to ensure our food supply.”
Officials detected HPAI in two locations on Oahu in early Nov. 2024, but since then there have been no other confirmed detections of the virus and Hawaii egg production facilities have not been affected. Hawaii was the last state in the nation to detect HPAI, which is believed to have been transmitted by migratory birds.
