Local food bank struggles with skyrocketing egg prices

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Egg prices continue to rise rapidly, and amid the pricing surge, local food banks are struggling to serve hundreds of families every week.

The Community Food Basket in Idaho Falls says the egg shortages are affecting them in ways like never before.

For the last decade, the Food Basket bought a dozen eggs for every family they assisted. The charity used to pay up to $60 for 30 dozen eggs, but now they would have to pay $200 for the same amount of eggs. That's more than a triple increase, which the food basket directors say they can't afford.

"It’s something we used to pride ourselves on—that we were able to [provide eggs] for every family that came in. We knew that they were getting good protein. And now we've had to stop doing that. We just can't afford it," said the Community Food Basket's Executive Director, Ariel Jackson.

Jackson says the Food Basket can accept eggs from local people who own chickens, but it’s still not enough to feed the 300 families who rely on them each week.

"Now we're kind of in this position where we struggle to know what to do with the few eggs that we do have," Jackson said. "How do you pick who will get eggs and who won’t?"

The Food Basket hasn’t found a proper egg substitute yet. They hope egg prices will go down sooner than later.