The price of meat per kilo is expected to increase in the run up to the Eid al-Adha holiday, according to the Butchers Division of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. The holiday is due to take place on 6 November. In statements to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Imam Taha, the division's vice president, said the price of beef per kilo will rise to anywhere from LE65 to LE70, while the price of veal per kilo could reach between LE90 and LE100. Taha called on the government to provide the market with additional quantities of meat, especially with the approach of the Eid al-Adha holiday, during which demand increases. He called on the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Justice to immediately begin the import of additional livestock and then begin slaughtering them in slaughterhouses nationwide in order to avoid the expected increase in prices during the holiday. He also called on Cairo's governor to issue the permits necessary to establish makeshift meat outlets, while ensuring quality control of the meat sold in these outlets. Taha stressed that it was important for the government to begin importing large quantities of meat from Nile Basin states, due to their proximity to Egypt, to supply the market with the necessary quantities before the holiday. The current price of meat per kilo stands at under LE65, a price which exceeds the purchasing power of middle-class citizens in Egypt. Translated from the Arabic Edition
