USDA Sec. Brooke Rollins shares the Trump administration’s new strategy to fight bird flu as egg prices remain high.
While record-high egg prices have left Trump officials “scrambling” for a solution to bring down costs, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins floated options to “immediately” reduce money spent on the dietary staple. Â
“We’re looking at importing some eggs in the short term,” she said from the White House lawn on Wednesday.
“We’re talking to several countries around the world that can get us eggs right away. This would not be a long-term fix, but to immediately begin to bring those prices down.”
The fourth pillar of a five-pronged approach to alleviating some of the cost burden, importing eggs is just a portion of a more all-encompassing plan that entails deregulation, investments in biosecurity, repopulating fowl and investing in vaccines and therapeutic research.”
EGG SHORTAGE LEADS TO ODD PRICING DISPARITY WITH CAGE-FREE COSTING LESS THAN REGULAR
Egg prices have reached a new all-time high at $4.95 per dozen. (Â ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“At the end of the day, policy matters,” she told Fox News’ Dana Perino.
“The egg prices we’re seeing now was [caused by] a long roll of overregulation, too many rules, too much government… so that’s [scaling back regulations] part of this plan as well.”
In January, the average price of a dozen eggs hit a record high of $4.95, up from $2.52 a year prior.Â
EGG SHORTAGES FORCE SOME GROCERY STORES TO IMPOSE LIMITS
National Restaurant Association president Michelle Korsmo unpacks the cost of eggs on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
Egg shortages have led some grocery stores to impose limits on how many cartons customers can buy. Some restaurants, including Denny’s and Waffle House, have begun adding an egg surcharge to alleviate some of their cost burden.
Rollins, however, sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
“We see a significant plan with significant funds moving ahead, and the American taxpayers, American consumers and American poultry farmers have relief coming right around the corner.”
FOX Business’ Lydia Hu reports on the surge in the egg prices and the limited supply due to a bird flu outbreak.
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FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.Â