10/24/25 Afternoon CommStock Report – Steak and Eggs-the President Thinks that They are Expensive

Some think that steak and eggs is the epitome of a great breakfast. Both ingredients have had issues that have priced this entrée out of the market for many consumers. Eggs went first. The egg laying industry was impacted by the bird flu H5N1 pandemic that required the culling of infected flocks to the point that the supply of eggs could no longer fill demand and demand was rationed. Our housekeeper said she stopped buying eggs and bakers changed their recipes to those that reduced or eliminated the number of eggs required. Eggs are a binder in baking and there are replacements. High prices cure high prices if left up to market forces alone. The bird flu pandemic interrupted normal market forces, not only by creating the supply disruption but also by inhibiting the ability of egg producers to respond to the market to recover egg production. Nebraska Medicine, published in February of this year, says that 166 mln birds have died or been euthanized in the attempt to manage the virus. Biosecurity measures have not been an anecdote. The virus’s evolving nature and the time it takes for new flocks to mature have slowed the industry’s recovery.   While…