Las Vegas, Nevada — In response to soaring egg prices and shortages across Nevada, state legislators are currently reviewing a proposal to relax a 2021 regulation mandating the sale of only cage-free eggs. This legislative change is aimed at addressing the significant disruptions in egg supply largely attributed to an avian flu outbreak and ongoing challenges in the supply chain.
The law, originally implemented to reduce animal cruelty by phasing out caged egg production, has faced criticism amid the current crisis. However, Assemblyman Howard Watts of Clark County, a key proponent of the original cage-free bill, stresses that the avian flu’s devastating impact on poultry farms is the principal cause of these shortages and price hikes, not the shift to cage-free eggs.
In a bid to manage the situation, Watts alongside Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, also from Clark County, introduced Assembly Bill 171. This bill proposes to give the state’s quarantine officer the power to temporarily suspend the cage-free egg law for up to 120 days during significant disruptions like disease outbreaks that affect the national egg supply chain.
Despite the transition to cage-free eggs, many retailers have been compelled to source eggs from increasingly distant locations, contributing to higher costs. The avian flu alone has led to the culling of approximately 20 million egg-laying hens over the past few years, significantly diminishing the national egg supply.
To potentially alleviate these challenges, an amendment under consideration would permit the sale of Grade B eggs—those with cosmetic defects but still safe for consumption—in Nevada, where currently only higher-grade eggs can be retailed directly to consumers. Grade B eggs are typically less expensive and are used in products like baked goods and salad dressings.
Bryan Wachter, from the Retail Association of Nevada, noted that enabling access to eggs from conventional, non-cage-free chickens might lower costs. He pointed out that in nearby states such as Utah and Idaho, which allow the sale of such eggs, prices have remained more stable, benefiting consumers.
The supply chain issues are further compounded by the lifecycle of poultry production. Following the culling of infected chickens, it takes several months for new chicks to mature and start laying eggs, which lengthens the recovery time for egg supply stabilization.
Wachter also emphasized the temporary nature of the proposed bill’s measures, highlighting that it would provide essential relief and recovery time for egg producers to boost their output and fully resume operations.
Through Assembly Bill 171, Nevada lawmakers hope to strike a balance, maintaining the ethical advancements of the cage-free law while also ensuring that egg prices remain affordable for consumers during crises. The goal is to prevent empty shelves and excessive consumer hardship, especially given that public assistance programs have not increased their budgets to cope with rising food prices.
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