The Economic Research Service of the USDA determined that in 2021, 9,227 million dozen eggs including both table and hatching eggs were produced, 0.9 percent less than in 2020.  The total value of eggs was $8,677 million, 0.2 percent more than in 2020.

The number of table eggs produced in 2021 was 8,031 million dozen with an updated volume of 7,781 million dozen in 2022, depressed by HPAI.  The 2023 projection is 7,975 million dozen, 2.5 percent above 2022 as flock sizes are restored.

It is high time that the USDA recognized the distinction between table eggs and those produced for hatching and cease combining these disparate products in tables and figures. It is also necessary to expedite the presentation of reports. A quarter in arrears should be an acceptable lag in time. It is noted that statistics on production and consumption of eggs are invariably and continuously updated in the monthly Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Outlook reports reflecting two previous years giving rise to questions concerning collection and collation of data.