Sameh Al-Sayed, Head of the Poultry Division at the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, criticized what he described as the greed of some merchants and the unjustified rise in poultry prices during this period, stressing that there are no real reasons for these increases, especially in light of the stability of production input prices.
A kilo of poultry ranges between 68 and 70 pounds
Al-Sayed said, in exclusive statements to the “Bankir” website, that the cost of producing a kilo of poultry ranges between 68 and 70 pounds, which is consistent with the actual prices within the farms. He explained that selling a kilo for about 75 pounds on the farm and 85 pounds to the consumer represents a fair price that achieves an appropriate profit margin for the product without placing additional burdens on the citizen.
He announced his support for the decision of the Ministers of Agriculture and Supply to import poultry with the aim of breaking any monopolistic practices and ensuring the availability of goods before the month of Ramadan, calling on companies to launch initiatives to reduce prices, especially with the achievement of self-sufficiency and the presence of a production surplus estimated at about 25%.
One of the traders was arrested after circulating video clips
Regarding the incident of arresting a merchant after circulating video clips of him on social media, he explained that the regulatory agencies proved that he sold dead poultry that were not fit for human consumption.
He added that inspection campaigns detected large quantities of unsaleable poultry, noting that the spread of unlicensed live bird shops represents one of the main reasons for these violations.
The head of the division called on citizens to go and buy refrigerated and frozen poultry as it is safer for health, pointing out that an official statement was issued by the Council of Ministers regarding the incident, and that the merchant is currently under investigation before the competent authorities.
