CAIRO - Egyptians are dreading that the price of meat will go up again, especially as Eid el-Adha (the Greater Bairam), when Muslims are accustomed to sacrificing animals and eating a lot of meat, is just six days away. It seems that many Egyptians will have to celebrate a meatless feast, as they cannot afford to pay LE80 (nearly $13) a kilo for beef. The Government's plan to ensure the availability of plenty of cheap meat in the local market appears to have failed, while Facebook groups are calling on the public to boycott meat during the feast. In fact, many citizens say they are ready to go along with the boycott, although others say they won't. Mohssen Mohamed, a 40-year-old worker, says that meat is so expensive that he can only afford to buy the imported variety. Thoraya Abdel-Rahman, a 50-yearold accountant, cannot afford to buy meat for her family, while Umm Mohamed, a 60-year-old housewife, says that the feast wouldn't be the feast without meet, so she's going to buy 1.5kg for herself and her four sons. Azza Abdel-Rehim, 40, another housewife, has been unable to afford meat for years now, while Moustafa Mahmoud, a 58-year-old lawyer, says he is not sure whether he'll be able to afford any meat for his family this year. Samir Moussa, slaughterhouse inspector, told Horriyyati local magazine that eating meat in Eid el-Adha was something indispensable. “Rich people often give poor people meat for the feast. Imported meat is very good and also cheap, so this is a possible alternative for people who cannot afford the local sort,” he explained. Professor of economics at Zagazig University Ismail Shalabi says that everyone used to eat meat in Eid el- Adha. “But the demand has grown and traders have become very greedy. The Government should provide the local market with a large number of sheep two months before the feast starts,” he suggests. Ahmed Goweili, the former Minister of Supply, believes that a boycott is not the ideal solution, although the prices won't decrease because demand is greater than supply and the traders are so greedy. “The Government should import more live cattle and frozen meat from Sudan and Brazil, because the meat from these countries is very good,” he stresses. Professor of nutrition at Helwan University Abdel-Rahman Attiya agrees that a boycott is not the solution and that the best thing to do is for each family to simply buy less meat. Ashraf Farag of the Cairo Veterinary Centre has no problem with people not eating meat, except for the fact that, for many poor people, this is the one occasion in the year when they dearly wish to eat meat as a special treat.
