The cost of eggs isn’t going over easy.  KUAM News checked the shelves and the streets to see eggsactly what's hatching.

Bella Marquez from Dededo shared, "It's a shocker. Not to mention it’s hard to find nowadays, too. I mean Cost-U-Less is literally out of it." A surge in egg prices has left shoppers shell-shocked and shelves empty. "It's ridiculous. I know there’s problems with chicken in the mainland, too," she added.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, the prices of eggs skyrocketed 60% in 2022.  Marquez has been feeling the nationwide eggflation as local grocery stores are forced to hike up the price. 

"Just to let you know," she said, "I went to Kmart. Kmart is the cheapest. It’s about $6.79, I believe. For a dozen large."

Talofofo resident Marie remembers when eggs were cheap, more bang for your buck, noting, "They were mostly anywhere from $3.94 to like $5."

Now across the island, a carton of eggs costs anywhere from $6 to $8.  At Cost-U-Less, a dozen extra large eggs is $6.99 and shoppers are limited to six cartons per person. A carton at Hafa Adai Market in Yigo is $7.39 – a dime more at Pay-Less, and $7.99 in 7-Day Supermarket in Harmon and at American Grocery in Yigo.

The CNMI is also seeing high costs with Saipan selling a dozen large eggs for $6.19, $6.99 in Tinian and $8.99 in Rota. "I understand why it’s going high, because of the Avian Flu, but it’s still a lot for most people to do," she said.

The shortage partly caused by what experts call the worst outbreak of Avian Flu to hit the U.S. But the American Egg Board says inflation is the bigger problem. President Emily Metz said, "You have feed prices that are up, you have fuel prices that are up, your packaging costs that are up, your labor costs are up."

It’s a burden to all but for now, eggs still remain on the shopping list. Marquez said, "I'm going to make potato salad tomorrow for a gathering at home and I have to deal with it. It’s our life here in Guam, you know? So whether or not it’s expensive, I guess if we need it."