BENI SUEF, Egypt: Bakeries and factories in Beni Suef governorate shut down because of crisis of the shortage of diesel fuel. Clashes broke out among the drivers when they demanded gas station owners for fuel for their cars. Seven injuries were reported. “My bakery needs 3 small barrels to work, each barrel was usually priced at 60 EGP (U.S. $10.1) but because of the fuel crisis, each barrel is worth now worth 105 EGP (U.S. $17.7). This negatively affects the sales of bread,” bakery owner, Mohamed Hanafi said. “The price of one container of diesel rose from 22 EGP (U.S. $3.7) to 60 EGP (U.S. $10.1) in the black market. So taxi drivers raise the fair for long distances,” taxi driver, Ahmed Sami said. About 50 bakeries shut down across the governorate of Beni Suef. Bakery owners bought flour from black markets in the absence of food supply monitoring, according to a city hall member Gamal Azoz. The General Manager of Food Supply Directorate of Beni Suef, Mamdouh al-Ghandour said the crisis did not hit the governorate of Beni Suef only but also all other Egyptian governorate because of the shortage of diesel supply. Al-Ghandour added he did not receive any complaints from bakery owners or food supply supervisors and so the governorate of Beni Suef did not face any problems with its bakeries.
