How chaotic will the California egg market be in 2022?

With retail cage-free egg sales volume in California running just slightly higher than the US average, implementation of Proposition 12 requirements for egg sales won’t be smooth. Proposition 12 requires that all eggs sold in California, starting Jan. 1, 2022, must be from cage-free hens. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, California has a population of approximately 39.5 million people. The December 2020 USDA WASDE report estimates U.S. per capita consumption of eggs at 285.7 in 2020. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly two-thirds of egg consumption came in the form of shell eggs. Let’s assume that by Jan. 1, 2022, the pandemic is over and U.S. egg sales return to their past levels. This would mean cage-free egg needs in California would be around 7.5 billion eggs. Read more