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An investigation into egg prices

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51–60 of 182 posts

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#51
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I admit I have not read the article yet but I have done independent research into these stats previously a few weeks ago. I found the 30m quoted number is the monthly cull amount. I have seen many references to the 115m or similar numbers but have no idea over what time period. I had my own ~120m number come up from my calculations: The industry claims it takes 4-6 months to clean, disinfect, hatch and re-grow, and g…

The article's 115 million is over 3 years. Your 30 million monthly represents one sampling period within that same 3 year period.

I have since read the article and you are correct, thank you.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#52
I went to the trouble of finding monthly egg production totals for the US based on "NASS quick stats."

https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/80AF9DAE-99AE-31D0-...

Hopefully yall can make heads or tails of the data.

The querying tool is also linked at https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/#80AF9DAE-99AE-31D0-8F1C-EC...

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What are you gonna do about it? Substitute tofu?

Even at $6.50/dozen, eggs are cheaper than tofu, which is $3 for 14 oz where I'm at.

You could make it your self for the cost of soybeans basically. It's a cheap food sold as a gourmet item because it's rare. Like a lot of other fermented foods.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#54
post #43
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Understanding a problem requires a holistic view of the larger system. It does, but the result is extremely uncomfortable. And the solving it will require actions that are even more uncomfortable. You have to come to grips with the fact that there are monopolies at every single level. There is no inventory anywhere except bottom. There is no over capacity at any level. Consequently, supply and demand simply do not…

"The big suppliers can ratchet up prices with zero consequences. What are you gonna do about it?" If I was that bothered about eggs, I'd simply grow my own. Americans on average have way more space to mess around in than say most Europeans - the place is fucking huge. Chickens are very easy to "grow your own". I'm not an American and clearly you have managed to get your collective knickers in a twist over a non issue…

I have my own and I don't even like eggs that much. I do however like their noises, and for pest control, so I keep getting new birds.

$33 for 6 birds, last month. They're not fully feathered yet.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#55
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does make me wonder what it will take to have a government with an appetite for trust busting again.

Vance was pretty anti-trust, but seemingly more against big tech?

A lot of good that's doing. Big tech was sitting front row for the inauguration.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#56
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I admit I have not read the article yet but I have done independent research into these stats previously a few weeks ago. I found the 30m quoted number is the monthly cull amount. I have seen many references to the 115m or similar numbers but have no idea over what time period. I had my own ~120m number come up from my calculations: The industry claims it takes 4-6 months to clean, disinfect, hatch and re-grow, and g…

The article's 115 million is over 3 years. Your 30 million monthly represents one sampling period within that same 3 year period.

Us cull numbers in 2024 were between 130mm and 180mm depending on who is saying the numbers.

But I heard our flock numbers in that period were 10 times that. So I'm not sure what to think.

I do know it was easy to get chicks this year, so that confused me even more.

Perhaps the lack of grocery eggs was because they were incubated instead?

I don't know.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#57
post #49

It's like with anything else. You can SAY monopolies are illegal, but if you allow them to exist, then owning and controlling the market is, legal. Any small competition that eventually gets large enough will just be bought out by the next one up in the food chain (literally).

And yet, this is the inevitable end-game of unfettered capitalism: to monopolize a market and prevent new entrants so as to eliminate competition and lock-in customers to a single producer that can set prices to whatever they want. If the orange Cheeto was truly interested in combatting corruption, he would break apart this entire industry clear down to individual factories and processing plants, and implement laws t…

Lol "if cheeto wants to end corruption he'd do "

I'm in awe, friend.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The current administration is doing a very fine job ... of collapsing whatever US hegemony still exists. The status quo would be, for example: * continuing to honor the social safety net constructed incrementally since 1929 * honoring contracts with overseas organizations * honoring the 200+ year old understanding that Congress controls spending, creates government departments, and establishes rules for the hiring an…

So what I’m hearing is: * Keep all the existing obligations * Continue to run a deficit * Hope that we can finance these growing expenses through treasuries or debasement * all the while ignoring the hollowing out of American industrial base and expertise * also allowing a large portion of the population to become redundant, unproductive, and irrelevant in the world economy

[deleted]

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#59
post #29

Egg prices are high compared to what they used to cost but still under $1.00 for a two-egg meal. There's not a protein source that's much cheaper, I think the egg producers are exploiting a certain inelasticity of demand. People don't like the price increases but eggs are still very cheap food.

So in your view, potential monopolistic price fixing is not a concern as long as the absolute per-unit numbers are relatively low? By that logic, we’d probably still be paying double-digit cents per minute for long distance calls. (Less than a dollar - a small price to pay to talk to your loved ones across the country!)

I didn't say it wasn't a concern.

Re: An investigation into egg prices

#60
post #34

We see this all the time. There is some shock or reduction to supply and the price goes up but it always goes up way more than the supply change would necessarily warrant. Then it takes forever to return to normal (if it ever does). Interestingly, in the early weeks of the Kamala Harris campaign last year, she actually advocated to fighting or stopping "price gouging", something that was wildly popular: 66% of respon…

Have no idea why this was downvoted.

>from serious outlets about how price gouging won't work

I think you meant to say "price freezes", "anti-gouging regulation" or similar.

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