Mexico Running Low on Eggs

Mexico is running seriously short of eggs. After an avian flu outbreak in June killed millions chickens and the price of feed soared, the nation's residents are now facing what the Washington Post calls the "Great Mexican Egg Crisis." Consider that Mexicans consume an average of 350 to 400 eggs per person each year, making their country one of the highest per-capita egg-eating nations in the world, notes Time.

Over the past month, the cost of eggs has doubled, from about $1.50 to $3 for a carton of 16 to 18 eggs. In some areas, the price has tripled. The spike in cost is far from trivial. Almost half of Mexico's population of 112 million lives below the poverty line, and eggs are a cheap source of protein. The Mexican government has begun selling government-subsidized eggs and importing more from the US, and President Felipe Calderón unveiled $230 million in emergency money to get egg production back on track. (More Mexico stories.)