Ecuador’s Egg Price Spike Is Also a Feed-Cost Story

The price of a 30-egg carton in Ecuador rose by about 20% between July and August 2026, according to producers cited by Primicias. The immediate retail signal is part of a wider poultry-chain problem involving output, feed inputs, and cross-border demand.

Producers identify three direct causes: lower production, higher costs, and higher demand. The supply response is slow because a new laying bird needs approximately five months to enter production.

Feed costs are part of the margin problem

The sector points to maize and soy as key feed inputs. Ecuador's 2026 price band sets a minimum support price of USD 17.45 for a quintal of hard yellow maize, while the market has remained near USD 19.

That spread is not a complete margin calculation, but it shows why the egg-price story cannot be separated from feed procurement. Producers are operating with input prices above the support floor while rebuilding capacity after a period of overproduction and very low farm prices.

Demand from Peru adds pressure

On July 13, Peru declared a 90-day health emergency after detecting H5N1 avian influenza in poultry. Primicias reports that prices above USD 4.50 per carton in Peru have encouraged informal purchases from Ecuador's border areas.

At the farm level, the carton moved from USD 2.80–3 to USD 3.50 in the first week of August and was around USD 3.40 during the week of August 17. Ecuador produces about 14 million eggs per day.

What to watch

The key indicators are farm-gate prices, maize and soy costs, the speed of new production coming online, and whether cross-border demand persists. The source does not provide a forward price forecast or a complete producer-margin series.

For food manufacturers and retailers, the signal is input volatility in a basic protein category. For investors and policymakers, the relevant question is whether this is a short supply adjustment or another cycle of overproduction followed by contraction.

Source: Primicias