# Benchmark Firms to 46 Cents on Moderate Retail Demand _Oct 6, 2026_ > The national large white benchmark firmed to 46 cents a dozen, up 7 cents on the week. Medium white national surged 60.5% to 35.6 cents. Midwest conventional inventory runs 20% above its five-year median. _Numbers as of Oct 6, 2026 pull._ The national large white benchmark firmed to **46 cents a dozen**, up 7 cents on the week, per USDA's Oct 2 Egg Markets Overview. USDA described offerings and supplies as moderate, retail interest as moderate, with a steady undertone on national truck-lot trading of large white loose shell eggs. [Chart: National white large shell egg price (loose, ¢/dozen)](https://the-scramble.com/national/large-white) ([data](https://the-scramble.com/national/large-white.md) — chart image: https://the-scramble.com/charts/issues/eggs/2026-10-06/national/large-white.png) - Medium white national conventional loose surged to **35.6 cents**, up 60.5% week over week from 22.2 cents a week ago, the largest price move in this week's data. - Nest run tier 1 brown, USDA organic loose, fell to **135 cents**, down 25.0% on the week from 180 cents. - California-market large brown cage-free loose dropped to **85.0 cents**, down 12.2% from 96.8 cents a week ago. Per USDA's Oct 2 overview, the California large shell egg conventional benchmark edged down 1 cent to **107 cents** a dozen. - Midwest conventional shell egg inventory stands at 573 thousand cases, 20% above its five-year median. Northwest conventional stock is at 60.6 thousand cases, 19% below its five-year median, the furthest-below-normal regional read in this report. - National shell egg inventory: 1,457 thousand cases as of Oct 5, 0.4% below the trailing four-week average. - Cage-free large white loose traded at **32.0 cents** against the 46-cent conventional benchmark, a 14.0-cent inversion per USDA national data. APHIS has confirmed no HPAI detections in commercial egg-layer flocks in the past 60 days. *Data note: 57 series have not updated in over two weeks, including California cage-free brown jumbo loose delivered and California cage-free white large loose delivered diet-nutritionally enhanced, among others. Figures from those series are not included in this issue.* --- Canonical URL: https://the-scramble.com/issues/2026-10-06