CAIRO: Eid Al-Adha is less than a week away and many cattle traders around the capital are still tending to most of their live stock instead of having already sold a considerable portion - if not most - of it by this time of the year. Traffic in areas known for selling live cattle is still moving smoothly - as smooth as can be in Cairo - instead of the usual traffic jams associated with the Eid. Traditionally a high season for buying cattle, especially sheep, the 10 days prior to Eid Al-Adha are witnessing low demand this year and traders are unanimously blaming high prices. Prices ranged between LE 23 to LE 25 per kilogram for live sheep compared to LE 20-21 last year, while calf prices ranged between LE 17 to LE 18.5 per kilogram compared to LE 16 last year. Live sheep usually weigh over 60 kilograms and calves are usually in the 400-500 kg range. "The price of fodder has increased greatly; for example a pack of clover costs 50 piasters, corn costs LE 2 per kilogram and consequently the cost of raising the animals increased, so farmers had to increase the price for merchants, Haj Saad, a cattle merchant told Daily News Egypt. "In the past, there used to be a fixed price under government regulations so that farmers couldn't raise the price spontaneously but now the government abandoned us and the sheep that cost LE 300 in the past now cost LE 1,500, Saad said. "Up until now we have lost more than LE 15,000. And they wouldn't even allow us to set our tents to show our sheep and police detain our workers for a couple of days although we don't set up these tents except before the feast, he added Another merchant who preferred to remain anonymous cited the hike in the prices of fertilizers as the reason why fodder prices increased. "Now people prefer calves over sheep because sheep don't give their value in meat so you may find three or four people sharing one calf rather than buying a sheep individually, he said. This practice has gradually spread among Egyptians over the past few years as a way of coping with price hikes while observing this religious practice. The cattle market reaches its peak every year before Eid Al-Adha as Muslims who can afford it are obliged to buy cattle of any kind to sacrifice after the Eid prayer and distribute its meat among the poor, relatives and friends. "The increased prices are due to the fact that we import most of the fodder and because of greedy merchants, said Ali Abu Al Azayem, owner of a cattle farm and a professor at the faculty of agriculture at Cairo University. "The price of fodder decreased all over the world except in Egypt, said Abu Al Azayem who had to close down his farm after operation costs surpassed revenues. "Instead of subsidizing fodder, the ministry of agriculture is subsidizing foreign farmers by importing their animals at very high prices, killing the local industry in the process, Abu Al Azayem said. "Even more, the ministry is destroying the industry from its roots by selling female calves that are the basic capital of the industry to consumers, he added On the other hand, Abdel Meguid Abdel Salam, head of the meat department at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, referred the increase in prices to increasing demand and insufficient supply. "The results of the global decrease in fodder prices will take effect in Egypt in three to six months after a full calf raising cycle is over and when farmers start to buy new fodders after their high-priced stock runs out, he told MENA. "The government decision to import and allow investments in this field will have its positive effects by solving the problem of insufficient supply; only 50 percent of the market needs are met, he added. In an attempt to put a cap on prices, the Ministry of Agriculture imported cattle from countries like Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia at a lower price. However, all merchants and farmers agreed that local products are still the favorite among consumers because of their quality.
