USDA Says Organic Eggs Have Largest Price Premiums

Randall Weiseman General, Livestock, Poultry, Specialty Crops

A new study by the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service finds organic eggs have the largest price premiums over their nonorganic counterparts. The study estimated price premiums in grocery stores for 17 commonly purchased organic foods relative to their nonorganic counterparts from 2004 to 2010.

Price premiums for most of the organic products studied did not steadily increase or decrease during the seven-year period, but fluctuated. Premiums for organic bread ranged from 25 to 45 percent above the nonorganic price, and premiums for organic milk ranged from 50 to 80 percent. The wide fluctuations in the price premium for organic eggs, 66 to 173 percent, may be a result of the large retail price swings common for nonorganic eggs, according to the study.

Organic carrots, on the other hand, had a narrower range of premiums. Organic carrots were priced between 20 and 27 percent higher than nonorganic carrots during 2004 to 2010.