Consumers and businesses are feeling the pinch as egg prices in Tokyo hit a record.
Higher costs for chicken feed and the spread of bird flu in Japan are to blame.
An industry group says the average wholesale price of a kilogram of medium-sized eggs hit 335 yen, or about two dollars and 50 cents.
The figure is nearly double the average price from a year ago.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a weaker yen have made corn and other feed more expensive.
Egg shipments have also dropped as a large number of chickens have been culled due to bird flu.
(Customer)
“I use eggs not just as a main item but also to make other things, such as deep-fried foods. If they get too expensive, it would be a problem.”
Higher costs for chicken feed and the spread of bird flu in Japan are to blame.
An industry group says the average wholesale price of a kilogram of medium-sized eggs hit 335 yen, or about two dollars and 50 cents.
The figure is nearly double the average price from a year ago.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a weaker yen have made corn and other feed more expensive.
Egg shipments have also dropped as a large number of chickens have been culled due to bird flu.
(Customer)
“I use eggs not just as a main item but also to make other things, such as deep-fried foods. If they get too expensive, it would be a problem.”
◆feel the pinchお金が足りなくて痛みを感じる to have financial difficulties, especially because you are not making as much money as you used to make
◆be to blame ～が悪い、～に責任がある to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad
◆cull（弱った動物などを）殺処分する、間引く to kill animals so that there are not too many of them, or so that a disease does not spread