The increase in egg prices in the US opens the door to clandestine marketing from Mexico

A merchant arranges eggs in a carton, in a market in Mexico City.Victoria Valtierra Ruvalcaba (Cuartoscuro)

The Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA) has targeted the possible increase in egg prices in Mexico, derived from the development of bird flu in the United States.

The reason: the start of its clandestine marketing on the border that unites the two countries after the notable increase of 109% in food costs in the United States.

From the GCMA they warn that the release of the Mexican egg has a "negative" impact on the supply and availability of the product, which generates "speculation and drives" the rise in its value.

The impact of bird flu on prices has been a clear incentive to go underground.

Since the beginning of the first outbreak in the US, in February 2022, the number has already reached 731 in its national territory, reaching 47 of the 50 States.

The impact on the market has also been clear.

The country has recorded a record number of slaughtered birds: 57.9 million, compared to the 50.5 million recorded in 2015. On the other hand, the price of eggs has increased by 109%, reaching 123.1 pesos per year. kilogram.

In Mexico, the impact of its first outbreak, which occurred in October 2022, has been less.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) counts 5.6 million birds affected by the disease, which represents 0.3% of all birds in the territory.

The impact on costs has been notably less than in the US, 30%, remaining at 40.2 pesos per kilogram, a difference of 82.9 pesos compared to the neighboring country.

The GCMA considers the United States the second largest producer of eggs in the world, a classification in which Mexico is in fourth place, noting that the country produces 3.1 million tons and is "practically self-sufficient" to cover its egg needs. supply.

The US has prohibited the import of raw eggs from Mexico to prevent the entry of diseases into their country.

The authorities on the southern border of the United States have reported an increase in egg seizures in the main checkpoints in recent weeks.

The border patrol has reported more than 2,000 cases in the past 11 weeks of people trying to bring egg shipments to the US from Mexico, most have occurred at the Tijuana-San Diego crossing, according to

.

The avian flu virus that has led to the increase in US egg prices is not only a zoonotic risk due to its disease in birds, its jump can also reach people, although it is not considered frequent.

Contact with animals is the main form of transmission, and the disease produces symptoms similar to those of the common cold: cough, fever, sore throat and headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath.

Contagions between farms are reaching enormous geographical dimensions, only in Europe there are cases in 37 countries and mortality in infected birds reaches around 60% and causes economic havoc in the sector, as has been seen in the increase in prices in USA. The matter worries experts,

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