Maine
Stores across Maine are running out of eggs. Blame the avian flu.
The avian flu, compounded with seasonal demand, has significantly affected the number and price of eggs available to retailers across the industry. Above, a few dozen remaining cartons of local eggs are seen Wednesday at Barber Bros. Meat & Provisions in South Portland. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald
Every morning, the staff at Pine Ridge Acres stocks the farm store with 20 dozen eggs. They’re gone within two hours.
The eggs — fresh from the Cumberland farm’s 300 hens and priced at $6 per dozen — used to last the entire day. But as local grocery stores struggle to fully stock their egg coolers and prices continue to climb, more people seem to be turning to local farms, said Sierra Smith, who manages the farm store.
“With local farms, they know where their food is coming from. They can see the exact chickens their eggs came from that morning,” she said. “It gives them more peace of mind.”
The highly contagious avian influenza has wreaked havoc on flocks of chickens around the country, and Mainers are now seeing the impacts in local stores with empty or sparsely stocked egg coolers. The shortage comes as the average cost for a dozen eggs has reached well over $4.
The continuing impact of the avian flu — a virus commonly known as bird flu or H5N1 — has significantly affected the number of eggs available to retailers across the industry. The eggs in stores are safe to eat, but getting them there has become a challenge.
“Customers will continue to find eggs in our stores, however, there may be occasions when a specific brand, size or type is unavailable due to reduced inventory from suppliers,” said Hannaford spokesperson Caitlin Cortelyou.
The impact of avian flu is compounded by the seasonal demand for eggs. Typically, the demand for eggs — and the price shoppers pay for them — goes up around the holidays. But so far this year, prices are not dropping back to preholiday levels.
The bird flu outbreak started in the U.S. in 2022, but the impacts are now more noticeable in the Northeast, where egg supplies are “very light to moderate,” according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released last week.
In the last quarter of 2024, around 20 million egg-laying hens died because of the virus, out of a total of 369 million hens, the USDA said. This has led to fewer eggs headed to grocery stores — and higher prices for the cartons that do wind up on shelves.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 66 human cases of avian flu across the country, none of them has been in Maine or come closer to the state than Michigan. The virus has swept through populations of poultry and dairy cows and was detected in backyard poultry in York, Kennebec and Knox counties in January and March 2024.
Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The current cost of eggs is 36.8% higher than in December 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average price of a dozen eggs reached $4.33 last month, according to the American Egg Board.
In Buxton, the egg section at Plummer’s Shop ‘n Save isn’t completely empty, but customers may not see as many options as usual.
“We order extra heavy and hope you get half of what you order,” said owner Garrett Plummer. “We don’t get nearly as much as we’d like or everything we want, but we still get some. It’s not a complete outage.”
Plummer said it’s relatively common during winter to have some trouble getting extra large or jumbo eggs because of seasonal production, but right now, organic and cage-free eggs are also hard to get. The store has not had any trouble keeping eggs from a local farm in stock.
Cartons of eggs are stacked Wednesday in a cooler at Goggin’s IGA in Randolph. The current cost of eggs is 36.8% higher than in December 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel
Customers have noticed the egg options are limited at some stores — and they definitely notice the price increases, Plummer said.
“They mention they’re hard to find, and they mention the price,” he said.
Courtelyou, the Hannaford spokesperson, said the Scarborough-based grocery store chain has been looking for new sources and supply channels. She said the company encourages customers to only purchase what they need, rather than buy more just to have them on hand, because of the shortage.
Max Barber, co-owner of Barber Bros. Meat & Provisions in South Portland, said his store has been “pretty blessed” to work with mostly local farms that have been better able to adapt to the shifting market than some of the national egg producers. The shop sells around 80 dozen eggs per week, with about 70% coming from local flocks, Barber estimated.
Barber’s relationships with local farmers also make it easier for the store to adapt to weekly availability, and stocking decisions are an ongoing conversation, he said.
Max Barber, co-owner of Barber Brothers Meat & Provisions, holds a carton of eggs from Sparrow Farm in Pittston on Wednesday at his store in South Portland. The average price of a dozen eggs reached $4.33 last month, according to the American Egg Board. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald
Barber Bros.’ customers are also willing to pay more for local, high-quality eggs, he said. Some call ahead in hopes of making sure their preferred eggs are on the shelf.
“We have a customer base that wants to support the local store, and understands that in supporting us, they’re supporting the Maine farms that we’re partnered with,” Barber said.
Staff Writer Daniel Kool contributed reporting.
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This story will be updated.
The Maine Department of Transportation is moving to slash up to $400 million in projects from its agenda, a shocking and abrupt cutback that is rattling the state’s construction industry at the start of building season.
Roughly $50 million across six pavement projects have already been delayed, according to a memo exclusively obtained by the Bangor Daily News. The agency plans to cut or delay another $150 million in bridge, highway, intersection and multimodal projects later this month. A further $200 million or more in cuts are planned in the next three-year work plan.
Those figures were outlined by Transportation Commissioner Dale Doughty in the May 18 memo to Gov. Janet Mills that has since circulated widely in the transportation sector, which has been getting drip-by-drip details on the wide scope of the cuts over the past three weeks.
It comes at the beginning of the state’s relatively narrow construction season. Companies have hired workers and ordered materials for projects they expected to begin this summer. The severity of the transportation budget problems was not raised to lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session.
Kelly Flagg, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Maine, called the shortfall “deeply troubling” in a statement.
“We stand ready to work with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry partners to identify both immediate and long-term solutions,” Flagg said. “Maine cannot afford to fall further behind.”
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The cuts stem from a structural funding gap of at least $130 million in the state’s current work plan, according to Doughty’s memo. Losses are magnified because state money from the gas tax and other revenue sources is matched by federal funds. Lawmakers have long grappled with politically difficult long-term problems with the state’s transportation budget.
A Mills spokesperson said Wednesday morning that the administration was working on a response to questions from the BDN. The department says it needs roughly $240 million more in state capital funding annually to maintain the existing system, and that anything less than $200 million will erode it over time.
Doughty’s memo the only near-term solution is a series of bonds beginning as soon as possible. Lawmakers would have to return to Augusta to authorize that if one is going to appear on the November ballot.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Michael Capeci is the former chairman of the Bangor GOP.
Let’s be honest about Maine’s current state.
For many families, the cost of living has become unsustainable. Housing is out of reach for many young people. Energy bills keep rising. Many small businesses are struggling under taxes and regulations that make it harder to grow. Rural hospitals are under strain and despite years of increased state spending, the results are not showing up in people’s daily lives.
Concurrently, Maine continues to lose young workers to other states. That is not a statistic, it is a warning sign.
To me, the question in this Republican primary for governor is not about slogans. It is whether we continue with a political approach that has failed to reverse these trends, or whether we nominate someone with new ideas. I think that someone is Owen McCarthy.
Owen is not a political insider. He is an entrepreneur from Patten, a small town where opportunity is not assumed, it is built. He grew up in a working-class family, became the first in his family to graduate from college graduating from the University of Maine, and founded MedRhythms, a healthcare technology company focused on neurological treatment.
He didn’t just talk about opportunity. He built it. That distinction matters, because Maine’s problem is not a lack of debate it is a lack of results. We have seen the trajectory: higher costs, slower growth, and a steady outmigration of young workers. I believe Owen McCarthy represents a break from that pattern.
His Maine 2040 plan focuses on creating 50,000 new jobs in sectors where Maine has real advantages — maritime and defense, advanced forest products, and life sciences. These are export-driven industries tied directly to Maine’s workforce, geography, and institutions. What sets Owen apart is not only what he proposes, but how he approaches governing.
He prioritizes modernizing permitting so projects do not stall. He supports using technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency. He focuses on making it easier to build, hire, and expand in Maine.
That same practical mindset extends to healthcare. Expanding telehealth, strengthening EMS systems, improving provider flexibility, and shifting toward earlier intervention are not abstract reforms. They are system upgrades designed to improve access while controlling costs.
Maine voters consistently respond to competence. They reward candidates who understand problems and present plans to solve them. I believe they are tired of rhetoric that does not translate into results, and skeptical of politics that prioritizes messaging over execution.
Owen’s approach is grounded in solving the issues that shape daily life — affordability, healthcare access, job creation, and government efficiency. That is not just policy positioning. It is a governing model that speaks directly to voters.
Some will point to his lack of political experience. But I believe Maine’s core problems are not the result of insufficient political experience; they are the result of policies that have failed to deliver measurable improvement. Experience inside a broken system, by itself, is not a solution.
If Republicans want to win, this primary must be taken seriously. From my perspective, it is not about choosing a nominee for governor who can energize the base. It is about selecting someone who can compete in a broader electorate that is frustrated and looking for change.
That requires a candidate who can speak beyond the base, not by abandoning principles, but by demonstrating competence and a credible plan to address Maine’s challenges. I believe Owen McCarthy offers that combination. He represents a shift away from managed decline and toward economic execution.
This is not just another primary. It is a decision about whether Republicans position themselves to win Maine or whether they remain trapped in a cycle of repeating the same strategies and expecting different outcomes.
If Republicans want to compete for Maine’s future, they cannot afford to nominate a candidate who only motivates part of the electorate. They need someone who expands it.
I believe Owen McCarthy is that candidate.
And if the goal is to win Maine, then the choice should be unmistakable
The only notable change in the top-seven of the Varsity Maine baseball poll is that Gorham now has eight first-place votes, two more than last week. The order of the seven teams is identical. In fact, the only change in the top-seven over the past three polls is the swap at the top after Gorham’s win over South Portland on May 19.
Furthermore, Gorham, South Portland, Oxford Hills, Cheverus, Bangor, Mt. Ararat and Fryeburg have been ranked in the top seven for four straight weeks, and six of those squads have been among the top seven in every poll this spring.
Meanwhile, Scarborough is ranked for the first time since May 5, and Ellsworth and Thornton swapped spots.
The Varsity Maine baseball poll is based on games played before June 2, 2026. The top 10 teams are voted on by the Varsity Maine staff, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points.
1. Gorham (8) 89
2. South Portland 79
3. Oxford Hills (1) 75
4. Cheverus 55
5. Bangor 42
6. Mt. Ararat 41
7. Fryeburg Academy 30
8. Ellsworth 27
9. Thornton Academy 25
10. Scarborough 12
Also receiving votes: Washington Academy 8, Monmouth Academy 4, Cony 4, Leavitt 2, Falmouth 2.
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