Rotten Robbery: 100k Eggs Stolen Out Of Pennsylvania Has Authorities Scrambling
The egg industry has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately. Due to a dramatic rise in avian flu in late 2024, the price for eggs has skyrocketed — enough to cause Waffle House to charge extra for egg dishes. Now, it's been reported that some egghead (or, more likely, a collection of eggheads) has stolen 100,000 eggs from a Pete & Gerry's Organics distribution trailer in central Pennsylvania. The value of said eggs is approximately $40,000 (which is, coincidentally, about the price of a vintage wine collection at Costco).
Although Pete & Gerry's is based in New Hampshire, the company is working with police in Pennsylvania to come to a quick resolution to the matter. The robbery has undoubtedly affected the availability of its eggs at a time when egg supplies are already at an all time low. As the investigation is ongoing, authorities in the town of Greencastle (where the theft took place) haven't said much, but are presumably actively working to –- ahem -– crack the case.
Egg prices have been increasing since 2022
As of December 2024, the average price of one dozen eggs was $4.15, an increase from $3.65 per dozen from just a month before. Overall, egg prices have risen 38.6% from early 2024. But, truthfully, the cost of eggs has been gradually increasing since January 2022, when the avian flu outbreak began. Since then, over 153 million hens have been affected by the virus as entire flocks have been wiped out to prevent the illness' spread. A dramatic reduction in egg numbers coupled with inflation has resulted in a once-very-affordable food item becoming a precious commodity. We can only assume the high price was a motivating factor in the despicable theft.
Egg prices naturally fluctuate, but if you're waiting for them to drop dramatically, you may be in for a long wait. The biggest challenge is taking control of the avian flu virus to prevent further illness and death. At that point, farmers can focus on restoring their hen numbers. These are larger tasks than many people realize, as the virus has already spread across ten states. What these farmers certainly don't need right now is to worry about thieves.