Prices of processed meat and poultry went up between 15 and 25 percent amid expectations for similar increases in the prices of dairy products. Mokhtar el-Gamal, vice-president of the fast food department of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, said the recent price hike was caused by producers raising prices after the price of imported frozen meat increased from US$3500 to US$5000 per ton last December. "Some producers did not raise their prices so as to compete on the market," El-Gamal said. "But they wont last long." Meanwhile, Soad el-Dieb, head of the Antitrust Association, called on citizens to boycott meat to force butchers to lower prices. "Many citizens have already started the boycott," she said. "But the government should launch an awareness campaign informing citizens of the real cost of a kilo of meat to serve as a price gauge." Butchers blame producers for the price hikes and for decreasing supply by two thirds to raise demand. The doctors syndicate also called for a week-long boycott of meat, poultry and fish beginning 15 April in order to combat what it called "greedy" dealers. The syndicate recommended that people eat other proteins, such as vegetables and fruits, affirming that not eating meat for a week is healthy for the human body. The syndicate has also called for the boycott to be repeated until prices go down. In related developments, global sugar prices went down from US$528 to US$480 per ton in the last two weeks, a 55 percent drop since last February, bringing the local price down to LE3.75 per kilo. Cooking oil prices are picking up in world markets, while prices of rice, wheat, yellow corn, and tea have all dropped. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
