Consumers can expect chicken prices to rise again this year: Perdue Farms CEO

Perdue Farms Chairman Jim Perdue on protecting workers during the coronavirus pandemic and managing the international supply chain.

Consumers should prepare for chicken prices to jump again this year, Perdue Farms CEO Jim Perdue said Wednesday.

"Because there's been about a 5 percent reduction in eggs being hatched, there is going to be, probably, due to supply and demand, an increase in market prices coming up this year," Perdue told "Mornings with Maria."

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However, chicken prices are currently down from a year ago, he pointed out.

(Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Perdue Farms employees at plants in Iowa, Delaware and Maryland have contracted coronavirus. The virus hit the meat industry hard even as President Trump declared meat processing plants to be critical infrastructure to keep them open amid the pandemic.

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"This is our 100th year anniversary, and we had all kinds of plans set up for the summer that unfortunately we were unable to do," Perdue said. "We've been working very hard to protect workers and yet try to continue to provide chicken to the supermarket business."

Food service represented about 20 to 25 percent of Perdue Farms' business pre-pandemic, but the company has seen growing interest its home delivery of chicken, pork and other meat because of the virus.