comment: >
  
  Their just applying what they’ve learned from the gasoline companies.
context: "The real culprit behind this 138% hike in the price of a carton of eggs," says the letter, "appears to be a collusive scheme among industry leaders to turn inflationary conditions and an avian flu outbreak into an opportunity to extract egregious profits reaching as high as 40%."
  
  Nothing wrong with investigation of the facts. >
  
  It’s nothing that [checks notes] absolutely everyone [edit: in the US] hasn’t done, turning temporary Covid setbacks into rampant inflation, across the board. And is labor getting any of it? No. No they’re not. >
  
  Eggs in Canada are the same price as they've always been. >
  
  Not in BC. 7 bucks in Fraser Valley where we make the things >
  
  Safeway in Alberta has the most basic eggs for about $4 and up to $7 for the fancy ones, which is on par with usual prices. >
  
  XL eggs used to be less than $4 a year ago, and they are more than that here now. If I had to guess, eggs are up 20% or so in the last year. That’s still a far cry from what’s happening in the states, thankfully. >
  
  Record profits for egg companies who have supposedly lost a large percentage of birds to a flu.
  If their profits were the same or less, it’s believable.  But not record profits.
  Not hard to see the correlation. >
  
  It’s funny that companies keep making record profits off major events like the pandemic, and supply chain issues. Almost as if these things are just truths they can blame a price hike on. >
  
  Culture and consumer demand have changed.  One onion and 1 onion pre cut up are the same thing, except the pre cut onion comes with an added higher costs and profit margin
  
  We know trucks are more popular, and more profitable
  As Auto Companies are more profitable as they have phased out Cars
  
  Target has a 8% Profit Margin while Amazon and Walmart are at 4%
  Starbucks has a 15% Profit Margin,Chik Fil A is at 10%, while McDonalds is at 5%
  People have been spending more money overall and more of that money at high profit stores
  Shop only at Amazon, eat only food bought at Walmart made at home except when you go to Mcdonalds for a once a month meal, and drive a basic 4 door sedan and profit is pretty low >
  
  I'm sorry, I'm not really understanding the overall point here. >
  
  If 100 people 
  
  buy 1 Onion
  at $1 each
  And my Profit is $0.04 per onion I sell
  
  I made $100 in Sales and Profited $4. 
  
  Maybe even my best year as last year it was only 99 people
  
  
  If 100 people 
  
  buy 1 Onion
  But 20 of them buy the onion that is pre cut 
  1 Onion is still at $1 each, but the pre cut onion is $1.20
  And my Profit is $0.04 on the onion still 
  but the pre cut onion only cost me $0.05 to cut
  
  I made $104 in Sales and Profited $7. 
  
  I made record profits, even near doubled my profits.  All because people wanted a better product that was already in the store
  
  
  But of course this Year I even sold more, Retail Sales are way up 
  If 100 people 
  
  buy 1.1 Onion
  But 30 of them buy the onion that is pre cut 
  1 Onion is still at $1 each, but the pre cut onion is $1.20
  And my Profit is $0.04 on the onion still 
  but the pre cut onion only cost me $0.05 to cut. 
  
  I made $116 in Sales and Profited $8.90 
  
  I made record profits, even more than doubled my profits.  All because people wanted a better product that was already in the store >
  
  So... how does the concept of value added product apply to this discussion about eggs? Are you claiming the record profits are due to the egg companies selling a different product? >
  
  The response was to a comment on record profits not eggs
  
  It’s funny that companies keep making record profits off major events like the pandemic, and supply chain issues. Almost as if these things are just truths they can blame a price hike on. >
  
  So is your claim that the only reason companies are making record profits is because of a shift to value added products? >
  
  
  Fundamentally, Cal-Maine seems to be engaging in price leadership—using the avian flu outbreak and the inflationary conditions of the past year as cover to establish a new 'focal point' for egg prices."
  
  I suspected the new prices were here permanently. >
  
  First rule of acquisition.
  Once you get their money. never give it back. >
  
  The Grand Nagus would approve of American "capitalism". >
  
  Rom? HA! The Alliance fell apart when Zek took advice from a fe-male.
  When Ishka became Zek's companion, she influenced him in trying to turn Ferengi society into a more "tolerant one" that allowed "free commerce" and "women's rights". Her influence over Zek led to social reform and a Ferenginar that instituted democratic changes. Rom became the perfect choice for Nagus because he himself had never been a traditional Ferengi. Zek believed that he would be an excellent successor for the newly reformed Ferenginar. 
  Memory Alpha >
  
  How about every fucking industry?  Everything has increased since the pandemic just because they can increase the prices and pad their bottom line. >
  
  Unfortunately you’re asking them to look into campaign “contributors” at that point. Can’t have that now can we >
  
  Called it. I can’t believe they would call it a “shortage” when i see eggs fully stocked everywhere I go. It makes no sense. >
  
  yep my local store fills the shelf as fast as it empties  all day everyday shortage my ass >
  
  The GOP reduces the funding and authority of the FTC at every opportunity.  They can probably manage a strongly-worded letter at this point. >
  
  They pulled the same shit with the chicken wing shortage a couple of years ago. >
  
  yup when Pluckers started charging like an extra $.60 or whatever the fuck for chicken wing surcharges I stopped eating there. Haven’t been back since. I bake drumsticks now at home and save a ton of money >
  
  Lots of stuff going up in price just because "Well, they're going up everywhere." and people trying to jump on the bandwagon and also take advantage of it. >
  
  Maybe letting corporations endless merge wasn’t such a great idea after all. >
  
  So they will jump into action when the egg industry engaging in price fixing  but they won't do anything to stop landlords from using software that allows them to do the same? >
  
  What software is this referencing? I've never heard of this >
  
  Realpages, yardi, rentcafe, and probably some others I'm not aware of. >
  
  Before covid the general consensus was if you wanted to raise the cost of a item you had to do it slowly over a long period of time or try and hide it by making the packaging slightly smaller. If you made too strong of a movement consumers would respond and stop buying your product. 
  Then covid hit and supply shortages came and a handful of companies said screw it we will just price gouge the shit out of people. Prices skyrocketed but instead of consumers reacting by purchasing less the opposite happened everyone started panic buying and purchased more. 
  Consumers have shown corporations that they are not willing to change their shopping habits regardless of how high prices go. The government has shown corporations that they aren’t willing to step in and prevent them from price gouging.
  People think inflation is bad now but we are just seeing the beginning of it. Why sell eggs for $2 at a $1 profit when I can sell them for $7 at a $6 profit? Even if I sell less because more people can’t afford them the profit is so high I’m still making more money in profit. >
  
  The cat is out the bag folks. Charge the American consumer all you want. They will continue to pay and the government won’t do anything about it. Also, people will never blame the companies, at least not enough to actually stop buying. >
  
  But they will blame shoplifters for raising the prices of goods that stores routinely toss 50+% in the trash because they have rotted or spoiled. >
  
  It’s funny. They’re $8 per dozen at the local King Soopers here in Denver with their brand…the fancy all organic, cage free, kissed by a shaman brands are still around $5.50 per carton. Been using the latter to save a few bucks and I’ll admit they are delicious. >
  
  I'm allergic to eggs, so this doesn't impact me, but a family member asked me to check the prices at the kings i go to in Colorado Springs and I noticed those prices as well, I just didn't know the $5.50 ones were the fancy ones >
  
  The egg industry aren’t the only ones to blame for doing this. I can’t think of a single industry that hasn’t ratcheted their prices up at astronomical levels over the last three years. The more they’re allowed to get away with, the more they’re going to do.
  It’s time for the government to step in and utilize some sort of regulation to curb false-inflation price gouging. If they can see past the billions they’re making from lobbyists long enough to actually help their constituents, of course.
  I’m not an economic policy expert or even educated further than layman’s knowledge, but there has to be a way to solve this. >
  
  
  there has to be a way to solve this.
  
  Yeah... you pay more. For everything.
  That's the way they want to solve this, and no one is doing anything to stop it. >
  
  What they’re failing to realize is there has to be a point, an end. They can’t just continually scale up the prices indefinitely without a scaling increase in average pay to citizens.
  Eventually, their prices will reach a point where they will begin to lose money as average-income level families are forced to use alternative methods of obtaining their essentials, being completely unable to afford their product anymore. They aren’t sure where that point is, and they’re slowly crawling towards it and waiting to find it.
  In other words, they’re playing a gigantic game of chicken with people’s livelihoods. >
  
  
  they’re playing a gigantic game of chicken with people’s livelihoods
  
  That doesn't bother them at all.
  When they start charging too much, they'll slowly back down, until they find the amount people are willing to pay for maximum profits.
  And that point is very obviously higher than it is right now. >
  
  Not that anyone will see this at the end of this thread but;  
  I am a small backyard farmer, and have give or take about 20-30 laying hens at a time.  I sell the eggs to friends and the local co-op.  So it takes about 4 ounces of feed to produce one egg, that is under IDEAL conditions.  At $16 for a 40# bag of feed that means a dozen will cost ALONE in feed $1.20, this doesn't include heat, water, labor, housing, cost of chicks...etc.    
  So barring any other factor besides feed to egg ratio a dozen eggs cost the farmer 1.20.    
  NOW, factor in that a chick costs $2-$5 depending on breed.  AND, that chick will not lay a single egg for 4-5 months, and you can expect 10% loss of said chicks.  You might also lose another %10 from predation, if the farmer free ranges, along with disease and other factors.  
  You can also expect that a couple times a year the chickens will molt, where they will not lay eggs for a couple weeks.  Weather will also make them not lay, so big swings in temperate will cause them to stop laying eggs.    
  So what I'm saying is this $.99 dozen eggs wasn't sustainable, and maybe the giant corporate farms could figure out how to do it, but I sure as hell couldn't!  Before all this I was selling eggs for $4 dozen.  I am still selling eggs for $4.00 a dozen.  That is the honest to God cost for me, without any labor.  I do it because I don't want my children eating Walmart eggs, I do it because I want my children knowing where food comes from, and I want them to have the best quality food I can give them.  I also love hearing how much better my eggs are compared to the store bought ones.    
  I know it sucks, but the price of eggs has been suppressed for YEARS, please support your local farmer! >
  
  Do you really not know how economy of scale works? >
  
  Lol, do 90% of the people replying here really not know how market economics, supply and demand, and a bird flu work? >
  
  Did you read the article?  Supply numbers have not been affected.  How are all the leading producers using the same excuse for price increases when avian flu hasn’t even been found at their production facilities? >
  
  That is a legit critique.  The original article might very well have inaccurate info.  Thanks for posting.  It’s better than all the other bootlickers just screaming “supply and demand”! without reading any of the articles. >
  
  
  The original article might very well have inaccurate info
  
  That's commondreams for you - one of the most editorialized, misleading, and unabashedly biased outlets posted to this sub. >
  
  It’s $7.45 US a carton which is like 30 million Canadian. >
  
  An industry as ethical as this is surely treating the animals "humanely". >
  
  Yea. Why is there record rates of “laying”? >
  
  CONSUMERS: Thou shag-eared villain!
  INDUSTRY: What, you egg? [Gouges prices even harder] >
  
  Interesting.  I know Avian Flu can be devastating for supply as you basically have to kill all birds on the property if the virus is found, but according to this article no virus was found at producers in the US.  There is no law against lying to the public to justify higher prices, but if you have multiple suppliers using the same lie then it seems like price fixing.  Definitely, deserves investigation, and a severe crackdown.
  In the mean time its a good reason to buy locally produced eggs at your farmer's market if you are still buying eggs, because they are similarly priced as the shitty eggs now. >
  
  No virus found at US producers? Why are you lying? >
  
  My bad.  I misread the article.  According to the article one of the largest producers profiting the most, Cal-Maine, had no positive Avian Flu results at its facilities.  And overall in the industry production levels have not been affected by avian flu.  
  So it remains, price increases seemingly have nothing to do with the Avian Flu.  At least according to this article >
  
  Crack down on these eggsorbinant prices! I have said it a dozen times, these Benedict  CEOs hiding in their towers playing chicken with the American people need to be held accountable. Fixing this problem would be over easy, instead folks are scrambling to afford basic food items. It’s hard to see any sunny side when we’re all shell-shocked at our grocery bill. >
  
  I feel you've been nesting on this opportunity to hatch a pun filled rant, you fowl being, you. >
  
  Nope. I laid this egg as soon as I saw the thread. Explains why it’s kinda rotten. >
  
  That's OK. You got a few clucks out of Me. >
  
  So.... capitalism. The Federal Trade Commission is urged to investigate capitalism. I wonder what the outcome will be. >
  
  Can I offer you an egg in these trying times? >
  
  How about organized theft for grocery prices?! Aside from the things that are regularly low/out of stock, what exactly is in short supply?? >
  
  My understanding were grocery store chains that upped the prices of eggs, kept those profits all to themselves, and in effect; rendered the farmers too broke to replace the birds needed. >
  
  I’m not sure if this is exactly it but Costco egg prices are basically the same as before though supplies are more limited >
  
  I’ve just read of a similar story in the UK. They’ve also raised the prices and don’t want to pay the farmers. Corporate greed has gotten out of control and continues to skyrocket. >
  
  They should be scrambling to beat the competition's egg prices, instead. >
  
  Take me back to $1.30 for 2 dozen in 2020 (Michigan) >
  
  Is it that time of year for oil companies to raise fuel prices again? Maybe they can blame Russia (despite the war ongoing for a year) for getting the US over $7 per gallon. >
  
  Most of the “inflation” has been profiteering and collusion. We know this. >
  
  Uh the whole capitalist system is organized theft. Fuck eggs fix housing ffs >
  
  Recently there has been a lot of chatter from people who own backyard hens saying that they haven’t been laying eggs since mid to late last year but started to again as soon as the feed was switched. Would be interested in any correlation between these two issues and corporate affiliations. 
  (Also, not a conspiracy theorist whatsoever but it is kind of common sense for mass market egg producers to have their hands in the pot of what chickens are being fed) >
  
  Just realized I was reading about the logic behind high egg prices when I should be telling my dog what a good girl she is. >
  
  Lol, I read this comment with my phone in one hand and the other rubbing my dog's ears. Now he's pawing at me for stopping to type. Gotta go. 😂 >
  
  Well, I’d bet that my dog’s ears are more velvety delicious than yours’s. >
  
  Ok.  It might be a tie >
  
  I'll take it! 😂 (but seriously, I love all dogs.) >
  
  I know at my stores there's no issue with egg supply - just the prices. >
  
  I ate French toast yesterday. Felt like a fucking billionaire. >
  
  Really no different then the oil industry >
  
  I’m so sick of getting fucked by capitalists. My asshole hurts and I want a break. >
  
  FTC Claims Egg Industry's Customers Are Getting Flocked Over >
  
  Can’t remember the last time I bought eggs.
  Supply and demand determines price. If consumers are willing to pay higher prices…why should the FTC step in?
  Stop buying eggs. This isn’t like gouging gas prices where people need gas to survive. >
  
  You haven’t been poor have you? Eggs are still the cheap protein, because every other grocer item went up. >
  
  A serving of black beans has more protein than an egg.
  You don’t need eggs. >
  
  Eh. You can do more things with eggs than beans >
  
  And? >
  
  So it makes them more useful lol. >
  
  A 4090 is also more useful than a 3070…should I get the FTC to lower the price so more people can afford it? >
  
  There's no need for false equivalencies. >
  
  It’s useful doesn’t determine its price. The market does. >
  
  You're right, but if companies are suspected of price gouging then the market can't correct it >
  
  The consumers are dumber for buying eggs at these prices. You don't need eggs that badly. This is why we have inflation. >
  
  Unless the egg companies try to buy Activision, the FTC doesn't care. >
  
  Big Egg is out of control >
  
  We're getting whipped. It's no yolk. >
  
  Biological threats to supply chains opened up a new revenue angle industry never realized they had. Wow. Can't wait for the next pandemic that takes us into the third great depression. /s >
  
  I came here to be the first one to say this:
  Big Egg. >
  
  I used to splurge and spend $5 for the organic, free range eggs in hope that they chickens were being treated better. 
  Now I spend $7 on the store brand eggs. >
  
  Capitalism.
  Who would have thought that companies would be profit driven?
  This is a feature, not a flaw. >
  
  Why does the FTC need to get involved? It’s not like eggs are a requirement to survive. Too expensive? Don’t buy them… No one is forcing anyone to buy eggs. No demand? Prices will plunge. >
  
  Doesn't really work that way when there are goods and services throughout the economy that rely on a commodity like Eggs to function and it is and always has been a basic staple for cheap protein that had widespread access. >
  
  Right but eggs are not the end all be all of cheap protein. I never eat eggs and easily obtain enough protein daily on a very tight budget. You’d think the right to cheap eggs was written in the Bill of Rights with all the attention this is getting. This is purely supply and demand. There’s no law stating companies are capped on margin. Record profits are a result of people too lazy or unwilling to change one minor component of their life resulting in consistent demand regardless of price. Just because you’ve had eggs for breakfast every day the past 5 years doesn’t mean you HAVE to tomorrow and the day after and so on. >
  
  Ok, we understand. Because you do not eat eggs, why should anyone else complain about the pricing?
  Understood, thank you for clearing it up for everyone. >
  
  It has nothing to do with myself not eating eggs. What I’m getting at is eggs are not a basic need to live, like water for example. If you don’t like the price, don’t buy it. It’s about consumer discipline. Go find somewhere else to get your protein, there’s literally dozens of great, cheap options. This is how a free market works. These egg companies aren’t gauging consumers on a basic necessity. There’s an endless list of other things the FTC could and should investigate where actual criminal and predatory practices are occurring. >
  
  It actually does, to a degree, as you do not share the same common frame of reference about how eggs are a part of person's life, or how they use them... as they are ingredients in other foods. If you never eat them, you only focus on a part of the over all issue, not the whole picture.  You assume every individual can, will, or has the exact same resources you have.   You also focus on 'protein' as a singular argument as that is the only reason people buy eggs.  
  Of course people can refuse to purchase anything.. even water if they know how to resource it naturally.. but if this is an argument against questioning, investigating and calling out corporations for price gouging or other unethical or potentially illegal actions one would wonder who pays your salary, or how you might benefit from luring people to your side of the argument.  Hmmm. >
  
  I work in IT but spent 6 years as a buyer for an international retail corporation. I’m not a “Big Egg” shill if that’s what you’re eluding to. In fact, I’m suggesting people stop buying them. I’m not saying people should stop buying eggs for the rest of their life, just until the demand puts the pressure back on producers to lower costs. This entire situation is textbook economics. It couldn’t be more elementary. That’s why I questioned why the FTC needs to get involved in a case if basic economics when there is serious, like changing/ruining white collar crime being committed across the continent. Oh, and one more nugget.. I’m quite the cook and can tell you right now whatever recipe you use eggs in more often than not can be made with various substitutes. If egg prices are really ruining people’s lives, they should turn off the Netflix for a single night and learn how to pivot until egg prices come back down to earth. >
  
  So dumb. It's embarrassing really. This won't go anywhere. The price of eggs is up because of a flu, and if the price was artificially low (which is what these dolts want) you would not be able to find any eggs anywhere. >
  
  I just bought a dozen free range eggs for $3.99 today. What's the problem again? >
  
  Hey, if you don't see one, cool.
  When I buy eggs for $1/$2 on average for a dozen and now pay $4/$6 for the same dozen .. I see a problem. /shrug >
  
  Same ratios here, I know in earlier covid eggs were $1/doz as I was shopping for family members so I was very familiar with the pricing having to split it out for a few households. Those same ones at the same store are about 4.50 now. Anyone claiming they haven't increased might as well be trolling at this point. >
  
  And check up on that whole cholesterol thing too… When I was a kid, eggs were bad, bad cholesterol. Now? Eggs are good and you should eat a dozen between meals. Pick a lane egg people! And what’s with pizza crust made from egg whites? Someone needs to burn the egg industry to the fucking ground.      
  The price is also too high. >
  
  Damn egg lobbyists and their downvotes! >
  
  Whatever group Conmon Dreams is quoting without vetting is full of crap. Here in Colorado alone we have had 6.4 M birds slaughtered. The egg production dropped by 2/3 less than the previous months, not 7 or 8 percent >
  
  We don't protest enough. >
  
  I just paid $5.75 for a dozen brown eggs at the cheapest store in town (Winco). >
  
  Hey atleast they 4x their profit! Aren’t you happy for them!? >
  
  Hahahhshshshhahahshsh.   
  Are you kidding me?   Fucking find your local farm. Buy eggs.  It's not that hard.   You will be blown away when you find out how many people have chickens. Also have a super abundance of eggs. >
  
  The oil industry? >
  
  Pharma? Oil ? Let’s going after the real crooks and let the chickens have their day. >
  
  Just like everything else, then? Price gouging for corporate profit. It’s not just eggs, crack down on everyone else too 😒 >
  
  The egg mafia is real. >
  
  If they are caught price gouging on top of the bird flu and inflation nail them to the wall. Lets start seeing CEOs and business leaders actually face consequences. Put them in jail >
  
  People can act like 6% less eggs isn’t a big dealio but it actually is. This is also occurring at the same time states are transitioning to cage free meaning more space required for fewer hens and fewer eggs. Simple supply vs demand. High path avian influenza still going. So if one of their farms gets hit, these producers are only going to be okay because they made hay while the sun was shining. Also, profit wasn’t made on the backs of those brands listed in article. It was made off the commodity eggs priced off the market. >
  
  $7.48 for 18 eggs today at Walmart northern Illinois area for basic eggs not organic.