Food prices expected to surge as experts say ‘something's got to change’

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts grocery prices will continue to rise in 2025, fueled by egg prices, which are projected to skyrocket.

FILE: Eggs on grocery store shelves.

A USDA report predicts egg prices will increase more than 40% this year, largely due to bird flu.

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According to the agency, the virus infected 18 million commercial egg layers last month, which marks the highest total since 2022, when the outbreak started.

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Michael Snipes, an associate professor of economics at USF, says there are other factors, too.

"Once prices for those types of goods go up, they tend to stay up. Just because there's no incentive for producers to lower the prices of any of these things," Snipes said.

FILE: Beef and veal products at grocery store.

FILE: Beef and veal products at a grocery store.

The USDA also forecasts an overall 3.4% increase in food prices. These price increases include beef and veal products, which are projected to rise by about 3%. Nonalcoholic beverages are projected to rise by more than 4%, and sugar and sweets by almost 6.5%.

What's next:

Rising food costs led to a grassroots campaign calling for an economic blackout Friday, or a boycott of major retailers.

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"I think that this is kind of an opening salvo of kind of the general population saying enough is enough, something's got to change," Snipes said, adding he doesn't believe the movement will have much of an immediate impact.

The USDA reported retail egg prices increasing by almost 14% in January, following a rise of almost 8.5% a month earlier.

The Source: FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer collected the information in this story.

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