Red meat has become a dream for most Egyptian families, who now have to pay anywhere between LE42 and LE50 for a kilo of beef. People are now purchasing imported frozen meat which is relatively cheap.
But a recent interpellation (a query that must be answered) addressed by MP Akram el-Shaer to the Ministers of Health and Trade and Industry on the importation of 50 tonnes of frozen meat from Brazil without the necessary health checks has made the public very worried. El-Shaer said that the central laboratories, affiliated to Ministry of Health, have not submitted a report on this recent deal.Mohssen Zaher, Board Chairman of the Nile Co-operative Company, says any shipment of frozen meat cannot enter the market unless it has been officially released from customs by health officials.He adds that red meat is now being imported by businessmen, as the Government has stopped doing this in case the meat carries disease. For instance, the Government stopped importing meat from Ethiopia more than a year ago, while Sudanese meat has also been banned.Abdullah Badawi, Deputy Minister of Supply for Giza Governorate, says the Sudanese and Ethiopian meat was sold for only LE15 per kilo in cooperatives before the ban. He explains that, if enough is imported, the price of local meat will eventually fall, even if the price of fodder has gone up.Minister of Agriculture Amin Abaza says that the animal wealth in Egypt accounts for 30 to 40 per cent of the national domestic agricultural product. Abaza adds the average Egyptian ingested 12g of animal protein per day in the 1980s, rising to 19gm today. The international rate is 25gm per day.Abaza told an agricultural economics conference here that last year, because of avian flu and other epidemics, local production of chickens fell from 2 million per day to 800,000. However, he added that the poultry industry had now recovered and was producing 2 million chickens per day again.He said the price of fodder had increased from LE900 per tonne to LE1,500 because of the drop in the international supply and developed countries using fodder as an organic fuel.Ahmed Goweili, the Secretary-General of the Arab Economic Unity Council, says that fluctuations in prices affect the living standards of low-income brackets, depriving them of their fair quota of meat.
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There are so many flagrant business practices that several antitrust lawsuits are in order. The numbers here and the comments offered do not add up. Allow me to simplify matters to the best of my knowledge.
Affordable beef is mainly exported by the following nations to the Middle East/North Africa market:
Brazil China India
The meats purchased in many markets in Egypt neglect to mention ‘country of origin’ this is a fact. Fact number two is that imported beef from the following nations is usually less expensive than local meat because again these meats hail from major beef exporting nations. The argument that the Brazilian beef is not safe is most likely a ploy and if it is not then the malice behind it is the Egyptian government. It is the responsibility of the importing nation to makes checks. And let us think about it – how many shipment of beef could be tainted, all of them? These FOB shipment are 100% covered by insurance and could easily be returned to the point of origin.
Long story Egypt is not a free market hence the manipulation of prices will continue to prevail. If it was a free market – Egyptians would enjoy clearly marked beef from numerous nations and at differing prices. e.g
China Beef 20 L.E KG Brazil Beef 20 L.E K.G India Beef 18 L.E K.G
Sudan + Ethiopia beef 15 L.E K.G
Local Beef 40 L.E K.G & possibly lower as demand grows less because of the influx of foreign meat.
People don’t know this but Sudan is very rich with cattle and ranks in the top 5-8 nations with the most cows. Egypt should take advantage of this fact.
Posts: 2079 | From: 'by any means necessary' - Malcom X | Registered: Mar 2007
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The country produces almost 7 million metric tons of beef each year from a total population of 165 million head.
One “missing picture” in the Brazilian cattle industry though, is that of a North American-style feedlot. Only 4% of the cattle killed each year are “fattened” in feedlots. With Europe being Brazil's main beef export market, the majority is grown to finish under a hormone-free regime on grass pastures. At times during the dry season, small amounts of corn or soybean meal may be used to supplement grass gains.
Most cattle are sold directly by farmers to small, inefficient slaughterhouses — seldom with intermediate traders. Only breeding stock is sold through live auction markets.
Brazil has tripled its beef exports in the past three years to about 550,000 tons. Through export-certified entities like Bertin Group Ltd., the Brazilian government hopes to increase exports to 1.15 million tons by 2003. Brazilian beef is exported to Chile, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the U.S.
When I see the sheep buffalo and goats feeding on steaming rubbish tips around cairo, eating from rotting carrier bags Brazilian sounds just fine. Posts: 3416 | Registered: Oct 2007
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^^Exactly Toot Suite and this is the beef that I buy as I stay away from Chinese and Indian products. The price of Brazilian beef w/o bone is 2.5JD/ 20 L.E KG when it is on sale. Regular price is 3 JD/24 L.E and the same beef goes for 4 JD/32 L.E in more expensive supermarkets. It tastes absolutely delicious and the taste is noticeable. Now why doesn’t Egypt have such meat and prices is certainly open for debate.
Now when was the last time Egyptians bought such beef @ 20 L.E a Kilogram? Also when was the last time Egyptians actually knew the country of origin of their meats. When I was there it was always simply ‘balady’ or ‘mustowrad’. Ok but ‘mustowred’ from where exactly?
There is too much monkey business going on in Egyptian market and unfortunately no one even attempts to question it. It is also unfortunate that people believe the nonsense that comes from the government and business leaders.
Posts: 2079 | From: 'by any means necessary' - Malcom X | Registered: Mar 2007
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One additional option that is doable and that is a boycott of beef.
Seriously it would work ..bcz chicken & lamb could substitute the flavor and cravings of beef.
they are doing this here now with dairy products ... the government is giving out educational brochures (on how to boycott and how to make homemade dairy products e.g yogurt) and is asking the people to boycott dairy products bcz dairy companies have not kept their promise to lower the price of dairy products by 10-15%.
ES MEMBERS IN EGYPT BOYCOTT BEEF AND SPREAD THE WORD UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES!!!!!!!!Posts: 2079 | From: 'by any means necessary' - Malcom X | Registered: Mar 2007
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Can someone tell me if the prices at least for the basic food products like bread, milk, eggs etc. went back to normal after Ramadan?
I surely was very concerned about what went on for the last couple of weeks....
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: Sei, Egyptians won't boycott anything unless it's politically or religiously motivated.
Can someone tell me if the prices at least for the basic food products like bread, milk, eggs etc. went back to normal after Ramadan?
I surely was very concerned about what went on for the last couple of weeks....
I am sick of hearing Egyptian being passive. I agree Lilly – they are right to be passive in many aspects especially when it averts bloodshed and this is a fact that makes Egyptians loveable because they are pacifist in general.
We are talking about CONSUMER GOODS with no repercussions here and no police brutality involved.
They owe it to themselves to boycott this monopoly of food products that are half the price everywhere else. Why is this beef so expensive in such a poor country? Please someone educate me and tell me the economics behind this. As I understand it the government facilitates food products to the population, especially healthy food products at competitive prices.
Where is the Corn/Vegetable fed beef products from Brazil that should cost no more than 30 L.E KG (at big profits to the importer and supermarket)
Posts: 2079 | From: 'by any means necessary' - Malcom X | Registered: Mar 2007
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