A SHORTAGE of eggs has left many families on Saipan without them at breakfast.
According to Yoon Hojin, owner of 99 Cents in Garapan, San Jose Mart in Oleai/San Jose, and K Supermart in San Antonio, eggs from the U.S. have not been arriving “due to a chicken disease.” He was told that in many states, chickens are being culled and disposed of.
Yoon said they cannot import eggs from foreign countries, which is why there has been a shortage of eggs on Saipan.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the nation’s commercial egg-laying flocks suffered a depopulation due to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza starting in December 2024.
Yoon said his stores were able to sell eggs last week because he has his own layers on Capital Hill. “But I only have 500 chickens, so not enough for all my stores,” Yoon said, adding that he has been operating the poultry farm for seven years now.
A store cashier on Saturday said their eggs were sold out very quickly. The supply they received at 2 p.m. was gone by 5 p.m., the cashier added.
The prices of their eggs per dozen range from $8.99 to $9.50 depending on the size. Another store cashier said the price might go up again this week to $10 or more per dozen. Previously, the prices ranged rom $5 to $6 per dozen.
Yoon said the supply of eggs from his poultry farm can only be sold at his stores, but it is still not enough.
Businessman Mar Masilungan said eggs have always been a part of their daily meals, especially breakfast. “It’s been our habit to have eggs for breakfast, but due to the egg shortage, we have been eating breakfast without them,” he said.
On Saturday, he said, he scoured all the stores in the southern part of Saipan, only to find the shelves empty of eggs. On Sunday morning, he and his family ate breakfast without eggs again. Later in the day, he was told that a store in Tanapag still had eggs in stock, so he planned to go check.
