With beef prices going wild, Egyptians feel the pinch as the final countdown for Eid el-Adha (the Muslim feast of sacrifice) has begun. Imports of livestock are on the rise in preparation for the feast, which starts November 16. While local customers blame butchers for skyrocketing beef prices, which hit LE90 ($15.8) for a kilogramme of tenderloin tips in upmarket districts, butchers pass the buck to breeders and farm owners. "I sell beef for LE60 per kilo. But some cuts are expensive, costing LE85 per kilo. Each cut has its customer," Sayed Shaaban, owner of a butchery in central Cairo, told the Egyptian Mail. According to him, the most expensive cuts are the tender and flavourful cuts, which come from the short loin and the front half of the sirloin. "I wish I could sell meat for LE20 a kilo, but it is out of my hands as my profit stands at only LE50 per kilo," Shaaban said. Generally speaking, meat prices rise weeks before Eid el-Adha every year. But this year, the rise has been unprecedented. Analysts say the gap in supply has caused all the mess. "There was a slump in the local market over the past two month due to spiralling prices, which exceeded LE70 per kilo. Sales are picking up as many people buy beef for the feast," Shaaban explained. The most populous Arab country of 80 million people produces 500,000 tonnes of baladi (locally-bred) beef annually, accounting for 40 per cent of consumption, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The gap in supply is widening as the population grows annually. In the late 1970s, Egyptians took to the streets when the price of meat rose from LE0.68 to LE1 per kilo. Prices of lamb have been on the rise too. It's highly expensive this season as many Egyptians prefer it to any other kind of meat in the feast. "Lamb hit LE60 per kilo. This price is unprecedented. It's the breeders who are responsible for this," he said. In 1952, one kilo of beef would sell for LE0.15. In the 1960s and 1970s, beef averaged LE0.60-LE0.70. Egypt imports 300,000 tonnes of frozen beef annually to meet growing demand, according to the Ministry of Trade. Consumption of meat jumps by 25 per cent during Eid el-Adha, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). In preparation for the feast, the Ministry of Agriculture has provided the market with 100,000 of locally-bred live cattle, while importers are working against the clock receiving beef and live cattle shipments from Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, France, Croatia, Hungary and Australia. In a bid to provide the low brackets with a fair share of beef at affordable prices, the Ministry of Social Solidarity has set up kiosks in collaboration with the Governorate of Cairo. "The Ministry supplies us with beef and we sell it to the public at LE35 per kilo," said Mohamed Fathi, a seller at a beef kiosk in Shoubra, north of Cairo. "We don't compete with butcheries over customers as these kiosks target the low-brackets that cannot afford beef at LE60-LE70 per kilo," Fathi said, adding that they receive limited quantities daily. "We always have fresh stock. What we get daily is sold in a few hours. That's why hundreds of people queue," he said. Away from Chateaubriand and Filet Mignon, the man in the street has no other choice but to have recourse to cheaper brands. Frozen beef and camel meat sell for LE32 and LE45 per kilo respectively. "Everything is getting more expensive. An egg sells for LE0.65, so it's normal to see beef prices soaring to LE70 a kilo. Low-income public servants like are hit the hardest," said Khaled Amin, a 40-year-old civil servant. Inflation in Egypt stood at 11 per cent in September, according to CAPMAS. Annual inflation stood at 21.1 and 16.2 per cent in 2008 and 2009 respectively, according to CAPMAS. Inflation reached a record high of 23.6 per cent peak in August 2008. "Our consumption of meat has fallen after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. My family has shifted to other protein-rich resources like fish and poultry, which are costing more and more. I don't know what to do," Amin, who has a family of four, wondered. "The feast is knocking the door, and there's no other alternative but to buy expensive beef to feed my children," he said.
