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聽again reached a record high in February, as the聽聽continues to run rampant and Easter and Passover approach.

The latest monthly聽聽showed a dozen Grade A eggs cost an average of $5.90 in U.S. cities in February, up 10.4% from a year ago. That eclipsed聽聽of $4.95.

聽has forced farmers to slaughter more than 166 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. Just since the start of the year, more than 30 million egg layers have been killed.

If prices remain high, it will be聽聽consumers have faced sticker shock ahead of聽聽on April 20 and聽, which starts on the evening of April 12, both occasions in which聽聽prominent roles.

The price had consistently been below $2 a dozen for decades before the disease struck. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to rise 41% this year over last year鈥檚 average of $3.17 per dozen.

Related on MyNorthwest: Here鈥檚 how to get $2 eggs in Seattle and Tacoma

Lower egg prices on the horizon

But there may be light at the end of the tunnel. The USDA reported last week that egg shortages are easing and wholesale prices are dropping, which might provide relief on the retail side before this year鈥檚 late Easter, which is three weeks later than last year. It said there had been no major bird flu outbreak for two weeks.

鈥淪hoppers have begun to see shell egg offerings in the dairycase becoming more reliable although retail price levels have yet to adjust and remain off-putting to many,鈥� the USDA wrote in the聽.

David Anderson, a professor and extension economist for livestock and food marketing at Texas A&M University, said wholesale figures dropping is a good sign that prices could go down as shoppers react to the high prices by buying fewer eggs.

鈥淲hat that should tell us is things are easing a little bit in terms of prices,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o going forward, the next CPI report may very well indicate falling egg prices.鈥�

However, he doesn鈥檛 expect lasting changes until bird stock can be replenished and production can be replaced.

鈥淩ecord high prices is a market signal to producers to produce more, but it takes time to be able to produce more, and we just haven鈥檛 had enough time for that to happen yet,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I do think it鈥檚 going to happen. But it鈥檚 going to take some more months to get there.鈥�

Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, said wholesale prices dropping is good news, but noted that increased demand for Easter could drive a temporary increase in prices.

鈥淚n addition, egg farmers are closely watching spring migration of wild birds, recognizing that wild birds are a leading cause of the spread of this virus and pose a great and ongoing threat to egg-laying flocks,鈥� she said.

Advocacy groups and others have聽聽into whether egg producers have used the avian flu to price gouge. But egg producers say the avian flu is solely behind the elevated prices.

惭别补苍飞丑颈濒别,听听补苍诲听聽to offset the cost of eggs.

罢丑别听听丑补蝉听聽to combat bird flu, including a $500 million investment to help farmers bolster biosecurity measures, $400 million in additional aid for farmers whose flocks have been impacted by avian flu, and $100 million to research and potentially develop vaccines and therapeutics for U.S. chicken flocks, among other measures. But it will likely take a while for that plan to make an impact.