CAIRO: The lines are long at Cairo's supermarkets one day before the Eid al-Adha festival begins. Families are stocking up on supplies for the week, but they have been met with rising food costs, as Egypt's larger supermarkets have jacked up prices ahead of the holiday. “It is a bit shocking,” said one customer at Cairo's Alfa market. “I picked up stuff and when they rang it up, the prices were all higher. When I protested, they said it is the new price. Shocking and disappointing,” the shopgoer told Bikya Masr. Alfa market did not respond to numerous calls from Bikya Masr to gauge why prices have shot up, but it's nothing new for Egypt. Last Ramadan, foodstuffs rose in price by as much as 30 percent on a number of items. Take rice for example. On Friday it was 50 piasters cheaper than it was on Saturday. For the average Egyptian family, these price rises are not going to sit well. “Each holiday they rise the prices of the things we need and it is getting really frustrating,” said Ahmed Moneib, a 44-year-old handyman in Cairo. He argued that if the situation continues each time there is a festival, his family won't be able to support eating properly. “We make a decent living, but others we know can't afford all these price hikes all the time, especially as our salaries remain the same,” he told Bikya Masr. For meat eaters, the cost of one kilogram of beef continues to shoot through the roof. According to Alfa market display signs, a kilo costs roughly 60 pounds, depending on the cut. That is over $10. Most families simply can't afford the cost. Making matters worse still is the rising prices of rice, milk and pasta. One shopgoer said they bought the exact same things one year ago for Eid in 2009, but this year “we have been forced to pay almost ten pounds more. I can't imagine what other families do with that.” Eid al-Adha is known for its animal sacrifice. Across the Islamic world, camels, goats, sheep and cattle will be slaughtered in order to signify Abraham's sacrifice to God. Millions of dollars are spent on procuring an animal to sacrifice. According to tradition, one-third of the meat is to be given to the poor and another one-third to family and friends. The majority of Egyptians, who live on less than $2 per day, however, continue to wonder if the continued rise of food costs will keep them struggling to make ends meet. For many, it is little consolation this holiday season. BM
