The U-S Department of Agriculture says egg prices have doubled in the last month, apparently in reaction to the flu outbreak which has killed 40-million chickens, ducks and turkeys. U-S-D-A says egg inventory is still rising nationwide despite the outbreak, but dropped five-percent this week in the Midwest. Indiana agriculture commissioner Ted McKinney says the outbreak probably isn‘t the sole cause of the price spike, but says it‘s impossible to overlook its impact. He says he doesn‘t believe the spiral is over yet, and says it‘s possible the impact could spread to products which use liquid eggs, from salad dressings to breakfast sandwiches. Indiana farms have escaped the flu outbreak so far, with the exception of a single farm in Whitley County. But McKinney says the price spike probably isn‘t boosting profits, because egg producers typically have sales contracts for a fixed amount above costs.
McKinney sees one silver lining in the outbreak, in the increased and overdue attention to keeping the food supply secure. He says it‘s forced poultry farms to think about who has access to the flocks, and how to keep flocks from mingling with wild birds.