The price of fruits and vegetables continues to rise at an alarming rate. A kilo of tomatoes now costs LE15 and a kilo of okra LE8. Other staples, such as eggplants and beans are also being sold at unprecedented prices. Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Amin Abaza ordered the General Union for Producers and Exporters of Horticultural Crops, the Land Reclamation Sector of his ministry, and the Production Sector of the Agricultural Research Center to make fruits and vegetables available at the ministry's outlets to help reduce prices. Official sources have also revealed that the government is placing 10,000 tons of vegetables on the market to control price hikes. Medhat al-Meligui, head of the General Union for Producers and Exporters of Horticultural Crops, said that tomatoes, beans and onions will be made available in four of the ministry's outlets in Giza. The price of one kilo of tomatoes has been set at LE4.75, that of beans at LE3 and onions at LE1.75. Al-Meligui accused retailers of raising prices in violation of the law, saying that the current prices do not reflect the genuine state of supply. Salah Mohammedein, a professor at the Agricultural Research Center, predicts that the price of tomatoes at least will drop as the tomato season begins in December. He attributed the current levels of pricing to the increase in the cost of fertizilzers, pesticides and land lease as well as the high temperatures this summer. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
