Marketing Spreads for Eggs and Frying Chickens in the United States and Selected Cities

Farm-retail price spreads in the United States decreased 5 percent for eggs but increased about 4 percent for frying chickens from 1961 to 1962. Both prices received by farmers and prices paid by consumers for eggs purchased in retail stores were down about 6 percent in 1962 from the previous year. Farm values and consumer prices for ready-to-cook frying chickens both were higher in 1962 than in 1961, but consumer prices increased slightly more than farm values. The farm share of the retail dollar spent for eggs was the same in 1962 as in 1961; the farm share of the dollar spent for frying chickens was 1 cent higher than in the preceding year. This article describes recent prices and price spreads for eggs and frying chickens in the United States and in 11 selected cities.