The United States has announced that it is importing eggs from Turkey to alleviate the crisis caused by the bird flu, which has led to a rise in egg prices nationwide.
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stated that eggs are being imported from Turkey and South Korea to help ease the supply shortages caused by bird flu, which has led to higher egg prices across the country. Rollins also mentioned that the US was in discussions with other countries for potential egg imports, although she did not disclose which countries these might be, as no agreements had been finalized yet.
In a press briefing at the White House, Rollins said, "Currently, eggs are being imported from Turkey and South Korea. Yesterday, I spoke with several other countries, and we expect to begin imports from them soon. However, we have not signed any agreements yet, so I cannot specify which countries."
She added that in the short term, the import would involve "hundreds of millions" of eggs, which would be significant enough to continue reducing prices for now. Rollins emphasized that once the poultry population in the country was replenished and the sector returned to full capacity, domestic egg producers woıld resume supplying the market.
The recent bird flu outbreak in the US has severely affected egg production, leading to the culling of millions of chickens on farms, which in turn has disrupted supply and contributed to price hikes. In February, the annual increase in egg prices reached 58.8%.
As production was disrupted, the US increased its egg imports, starting with Turkey, from which it last imported eggs in January 2023.
