Hawaii egg producers look for ways to keep inflation in check as prices soar

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Getting sticker shock from egg prices these days? You’re not alone.

Retailer Instacart reported that in January, some Hawaii residents were paying $9.73 on average for a dozen eggs.

That’s 53% higher than the next highest priced eggs ― in Florida.

The national average for a dozen large Grade A eggs was up 150% in January compared to the same price last year.

One of the biggest contributing factors in that spike is the rise in avian flu on the continental US.

The most recent numbers from the CDC show more than 58 million commercial poultry birds have been infected since last January. Some of the hardest hit states include some of the biggest mainland egg producers like Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado and Washington.

Luckily, the avian flu has not been detected in Hawaii.

”We are grateful that the USDA has strict safeguards in place to keep farms like ours safe,” said Sharon Peterson Cheape, manager of Peterson’s Upland Farm in Wahiawa.

The small farm off Dole Road processes about 3,000 eggs on average every day.

Despite the rising cost of eggs on the mainland and the challenges with labor and the national supply chain, Peterson Cheape says its important that her farm keeps their prices as low as possible for as long as possible.

A dozen large eggs at Peterson’s Upland Farm is $5.50.

”My grandfather started this farm in 1910 and always instilled in us that the most important thing we can do is to care for others and our community and that is why we are doing our best not to raise prices,” she said.

The farm opens every Tuesday through Saturday at 9 a.m. but its not uncommon for cars to line up for their drive-thru/pickup service much earlier.

”Sometimes that causes a backup on the road outside the farm, so we ask people to not come too early to be respectful to our neighbors and other drivers,” she added.

There has been a noticeable increase in demand for local eggs and Peterson Cheape said she and her team are proud to be a part of the larger effort to make Hawaii less dependent on mainland eggs.

For more information about the farm, click here.

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