SAN DIEGO, Cal.
Mrs. Adelina Valdez says that she had never seen the price of an egg so high in San Diego, California.
“About two weeks ago I only found it at six dollars a dozen, last week it was already at $7.50 and now, look, at $8 a dozen eggs; What an outrage, at this rate it will cost the same as a dozen steaks,” said Doña Adelina, in a super center type store.
His expression is a variant of those of millions of residents of the US border surprised by the high price that the eggs fetched.
As has happened when gasoline reaches prices never seen before at the border and Americans cross into Mexico to stock up, this time the border crossing has been in search of eggs, but the authorities are deploying an operation starting today because it is forbidden to cross eggs into the United States United, and then doing so means smuggling.
“It is most incredible,” commented a young man named Andrés in the El Refugio neighborhood, in Tijuana, “now an operation for fentanyl trafficking or egg trafficking,” he said.
The United States is facing “the deadliest avian influenza outbreak in its history,” he declared.
The director of field operations of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the checkpoints that connect San Diego and Tijuana, Jennifer de la O, said that the United States faces “the deadliest outbreak of avian influenza in its history.”
- 8 DOLLARS It costs a dozen eggs in San Diego, that is, an average of 13 pesos per unit.
The impact of that outbreak has reduced the supply of eggs in the United States, and consequently CBP inspectors at the border have detected an increasing attempt to cross eggs from Mexico.
“There has been a large increase in the volume of prohibited foods, such as raw eggs and raw poultry, brought in by travelers from Mexico. We would like to remind the traveling public that federal agricultural regulations remain in effect,” said De la O.
Egg prices were similar on both sides of the border, but an outbreak of avian influenza has killed 57 million birds, and continues unabated, the Agriculture Department reported.
Until the end of December, when the outbreak began to worsen, 43 million laying hens had died.
Before that, although there has been inflation on both sides of the border in recent months, the price fluctuated around $2 dollars or 40 pesos.
But now in a small business in El Refugio a dozen eggs sell for 50 pesos, about $2.50 dollars, less than a third of what is sold in San Diego, where it continues to increase.
CBP reported that attempts to cross the border with fresh eggs are unprecedented.
For example, the agency released photos of six cartons (double dozen) of eggs found on inspection of a driver.
The agency recalled in another statement that when people want to bring wholesale items for resale into the United States, they have to go through the import checkpoints and declare the products.
He also reminded those who cross the border that it is prohibited to pass with any bird or with items related to birds.
“For example, a dirty chicken cage can carry the avian influenza virus,” and now it is about preventing this fever that kills birds from reaching parts of the country where it has not yet been registered.
According to the Department of Commerce, the average egg price last year was $1.93 per dozen. When inflation was highest, partly due to the rise in the price of gasoline, a dozen eggs reached $4.50.
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avian whip
- According to the Department of Agriculture, an outbreak of avian influenza has claimed the lives of 57 million birds, and it continues unabated.
