Local and Mainland Egg Prices Comparable in Latest Data for Honolulu

The price of local and mainland eggs in Honolulu rose significantly in the first quarter of this year. However, the price between local and mainland eggs was comparable, according to latest statistics from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), Market Analysis and News Branch (MANB).

Since Jan. 1, 2025, egg prices rose by 20% for local eggs, with a median price of $9.51 per dozen, while the price for imported mainland eggs rose 30% to $9.46, just a few cents difference.

Hawai‘i still pays significantly higher prices than the rest of the U.S., which averages at $4.90 per dozen. The increase in the price of mainland eggs can be mainly attributed to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) which has impacted egg production across the continental U.S.

January 2025, HDOA released data that indicated that between 2021 and 2024, the price for a dozen locally produced eggs rose by 28.4% from $6.91 to $8.87 while the price of imported mainland eggs increased by 51.8% from $5.50 to $8.35. The data collected between 2023 and 2024 show that local egg prices rose by 2.7% while mainland eggs prices rose by 6.2%.

“While the increasing price of all eggs is a concern for everyone, it is good to see that local eggs are able to be very competitive in the marketplace,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “Of course, the added benefit of locally produced eggs is that they are fresher and we hope that everyone will choose local when available and support our local producers.”

While HPAI was detected in two locations on O‘ahu in early November 2024, no further detections of the virus have been confirmed and no Hawai‘i egg production facilities have been involved. HDOA continues to work with the local poultry industry to keep HPAI from infecting flocks.