How Many Eggs Is Turkey Sending To The US?

With egg carton rationing on the rise at major grocery stores like Trader Joe's, it's become evident to the rest of the world that the U.S. is in need of eggs. The country of Turkey just stepped in to save the day, at least until July. The U.S. and Turkey have reached a deal in which Turkey will send 15,000 tons of eggs to the U.S.. The chairman of the Egg Producers Central Union in Turkey told Reuters that the shipments have already begun and will continue through July.

"The export will take place through our member companies with the required authorizations, while two firms will coordinate the process," said the chairman, Ibrahim Afyon. In exchange for the egg shipments, Turkey is expected to receive $26 million in exports revenue. The country's need for eggs has been ongoing for years now and has led to intermittent shortages and rising prices ever since. Here's why this multi-million dollar import is so necessary.

Much like how a vaccine took time to develop as the world dealt with the impacts of COVID, the same can be said for our egg situation. In 2022, the Avian Flu ravaged flocks of egg-laying hens in the U.S. and has continued to do so. Since the beginning of this bird flu outbreak over 150 million hens have been affected. Experts began working on vaccines for the affected poultry back in 2022 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in January that it was working to rebuild a stockpile of vaccines.

However, Reuters notes that while a conditional license was granted to the animal health company Zoetis for a vaccine, the USDA has not authorized the use of any vaccine yet. Until recently, egg farms have resorted to culling the entire flock as soon as the bird flu is detected. The Trump administration has recently changed its guidelines on this, intending to promote vaccinations and tighter biosecurity instead of outright slaughter.