It's 'awesome' that high egg prices have people interested in raising chickens, Trump Ag Secretary says

If you’re upset about paying $14 for a dozen eggs, President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture says there is a reason to look on the bright side

Speaking on Fox News (FOXA), Brooke Rollins said, “I think the silver lining in all of this is... how do we solve for something like this?”

Rollins’ solution? Raise chickens in your backyard, like she does. “People are sort of looking around thinking, ‘Wow, well, maybe I could get a chicken in my backyard,’ and it’s awesome,” she said.

Her comments over the weekend came as egg prices have reached record highs and are expected to increase more.

The Department of Agriculture said in a report last week that it projects prices will rise 41.1% this year. Just last month, the USDA predicted only a 20% increase.

The rising cost is due to two main factors: steady inflation and a surge in bird flu cases affecting egg-laying hens nationwide.

That has led to shortages in grocery stores, with some limiting how many cartons customers can purchase, and sticker shock for consumers who often can’t buy a dozen eggs for less than $10.

—Bruce Gil contributed to this article.