November 23, 2012

Months after a bird flu outbreak killed more than 22 million egg-laying hens, Mexico's consumption of eggs is picking up as egg prices stabilise.

In September, when egg prices hit an average of MXN27.88 (US$2.14) a kilogramme in the nation's capital, 64% of Mexicans were purchasing fewer eggs than usual, according to a study of the German research company GfK. Today, that percentage has fallen to 57%, and the price has dropped to MXN25.50 (US$1.96) per kilogramme.

The study evaluated the egg consumption habits of 1,062 Mexicans in the country's three largest cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

When asked how much they would be willing to pay for eggs, the average answer among the Mexicans polled was MXN27.80 (US$2.13) per kilogramme. The highest price offered was MXN65 (US$5).

About 16% of those polled said eggs were an irreplaceable part of their diet. Two months ago, however, 14% of Mexicans had stopped eating eggs due in part to the breakfast food's high price. In October, that percentage had fallen to 11%, GfK said.

The H7N3 flu virus, which doesn't affect humans, was successfully contained in Mexico's largest egg-producing state of Jalisco after causing a total of MXN9.5 billion (US$730.8 million) in economic losses for the Mexican poultry sector.