Domestic egg producers have been exporting more than usual in the last few months, driven by demand for U.S. eggs after avian-influenza outbreaks in Asia. The lower egg supply in this country has led to higher prices.

Kroger, for example, increased its egg prices this month. "We react to the market," spokesman Dale Hollandsworth said.

"Egg prices have been high," said Michael Sheats, chief of poultry-market analysis for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Although wholesale egg prices declined dramatically in recent weeks, last week they remained more than 90 percent higher than the same time last year.

"All food retailers have recently experienced an increase in the cost of eggs," Giant Eagle said in a statement. "While egg prices remain higher than expected, they are much lower than they were a few weeks ago."

Things likely will get worse before they improve. One of the top egg-exporting groups will fill another major order this month or in early March, which likely will increase prices a bit, said Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers, which manages the egg-exporting group.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch