NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Super Value owner Rupert Roberts predicted the price of eggs will drop within the span of two months despite the bird flu crisis in the United States.
His comments follow reports that one of the largest egg distributors in the U.S. suffered a loss of 100,000 egg-laying hens.
Roberts was confident the Bahamian consumer will not be impacted by the incident.
“The price of eggs is not controlled by farmers but by the egg regulators,” he said.
Although the fire is a setback for the egg industry, Roberts underscored the Connecticut farm sold brown eggs while his store chain only imports white eggs.
He indicated that the biggest setback to the egg industry remains the bird flu that has led to the deaths of around two million chickens due to infection.
As a result, many hen farmers were forced to dispose of all hens that made contact with the contaminated chickens. Additionally, the hens were buried on land that was purchased to facilitate the loss.
Roberts added that asking consumers to pay $8 for a carton of eggs is disheartening for him as many are still suffering from the pandemic and now inflation.
He was adamant that unless another unforeseen incident occurs, prices will fall within the next two months.
He described SuperValue’s purchasing department as a research department stating that they search over a dozen countries to provide the best price for their consumers.
“By April we want to see the prices leveled,” he said.
“Anytime I get the opportunity to render good news to the public is a great day,” he expressed.
Due to the fluctuating egg market, local farmer Anthony Palacious said: “Farming is not a difficult process.”
Palacious said that he began farming hens as a hobby after his niece suggested that roosters were not needed to yield eggs.
The hobby for Palacious and his wife has developed from five hens to around 100 hens, over three years.
Palacious added: “Bahamians who have the property capacity should own a few hens.”
