- Title: Home-raised chicken help Egyptians cut costs as holy month approaches
- Date: 25th May 2017
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 20, 2017) (REUTERS) NEAMAT EID IN GARDEN WITH TURKEYS AND CHICKEN VARIOUS OF TURKEYS AND CHICKEN IN NEAMAT'S GARDEN SOHEIR RAGAB WITH CHICKENS IN HER GARDEN RAGAB FEEDING CHICKEN MORE OF CHICKENS CHICKEN EATING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WOMAN RAISING POULTRY, SOHEIR RAGAB, SAYING: "I started recently, these days, because of the rise in prices. When we go to a chicken shop we can't even buy a chicken as small as two kilograms. I have four children, and with me and my husband, that's six members, so we'll need at least two chickens, and I'll need around 150 pounds to buy chicken, but how can I with today's prices? My husband's job is inconsistent and I have four children in secondary school, prep school one that is one and a half.'' DUCKS IN YARD DUCKS/ SOUND OF ROOSTER CROWING WOMAN RAISING BIRDS, EID, STUFFING DUCKS EID STUFFING DUCKS VARIOUS OF EID STUFFING DUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WOMAN RAISING POULTRY, NEAMAT EID, SAYING: "Yes they will stop increasing their prices. If every household starts raising chickens they will stop increasing their prices. But those living in flats can't raise them, the flat is full, you can't raise anything. If you live in a flat, how will you raise them? The flat is busy and furnished. But those living like us can raise them.'' EXTERIOR OF POULTRY SHOP BIRDS IN CAGES BIRDS IN CAGE BIRDS PEOPLE IN POULTRY SHOP WAITING/BIRDS IN CAGE MAN PLACING BIRDS IN CAGE BIRDS IN CAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PEDESTRIAN, ABDELGELIL, SAYING: "I do not know what to do anymore. What will we do? They do not pay attention to the people anymore. (Reporter asking question off camera) What will the people do? They are doing this because of the high prices and still they are saying that prices will increase in July. What will we do with our salaries now? Will we pay for water or electricity or education or food or drink? We do not know where they are taking us." VARIOUS OF BUTCHER CLEANING TURKEY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) POULTRY SHOP OWNER, KHATER MINNA, SAYING: "Most of Upper Egypt raises (chickens) at home and they sell it. Ducks are now 55 EGP a kilo. Ducks were between 20-30 EGP. Everyone now raises ducks. They say why would I buy a chicken for 100 EGP and I have a duck at home, I can slaughter a duck for the children, and eat duck today and not chicken.'' POULTRY SHOP
- Embargoed: 8th June 2017 16:22
- Keywords: chickens Ramadan in Egypt Egypt inflation
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016IC49CL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:In the yard of her Cairo home, Soheir Ragab is raising chickens, geese, and turkeys to feed her family during the holy month of Ramadan.
Sharp rises in the cost of living in the last few months mean she has no option but to raise the poultry rather than go to the shops, which she could do before.
The problem becomes even more acute just now because food prices go up even further just before Ramadan.
''When we go to a chicken shop we can't even buy a chicken as small as two kilograms. I have four children, and with me and my husband, that's six members, so we'll need at least two chickens, and I'll need around 150 pounds to buy chicken, but how can I with today's prices? My husband's job is inconsistent and I have four children in secondary school, prep school one that is one and a half,'' Ragab said.
Ragab is among an increasing number of people in Egypt who are rearing animals in their homes to combat the rising food prices.
Sixty-year old Neamat Eid says homegrown food has become the only way for her to make ends meet during Ramadan.
She also raises poultry in her home so as to provide food for her family of 10 during the holy month.
Egypt is struggling to rein in soaring inflation that hit a three-decade high of more than 31 percent last month. The central bank hiked interest rates two percent in a bid to curb inflation but some economists believe the move will do little to stop food prices rising.
And people are tightening their belts, uncertain of how far their wages will go.
''What will the people do? They are doing this because of the high prices and still they are saying that prices will increase in July. What will we do with our salaries now? Will we pay for water or electricity or education or food or drink? We do not know where they are taking us,'' said Egyptian man Abdelgelil.
At Khater Minna's poultry shop in an affluent neighbourhood in eastern Cairo, Minna has noticed a fall in the number of customers.
''Ducks are now 55 EGP a kilo. Ducks were between 20-30 EGP. Everyone now raises ducks. They say why would I buy a chicken for 100 EGP and I have a duck at home, I can slaughter a duck for the children, and eat duck today and not chicken,'' he said.
He used to employ up to five workers, now he says he can barely afford to pay one.
Minna opened his shop shortly after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. The political and economic instability that followed has had one consequence for him: the price of chicken has since more than tripled. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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