Egypt's PM reviews measures to boost red meat supply, stabilise prices

Daily News Egypt

2 days ago

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has reviewed measures aimed at increasing the supply of red meat in local markets and ensuring price stability, his office said.
The Prime Minister chaired a meeting on Wednesday attended by Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa El-Din Farouk, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates' Affairs Abu Bakr Hefny, Major General Islam El-Rayyan, representing the Armed Forces' National Service Projects Organisation (NSPO), Bahaa El-Ghannam, Executive Director of the Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development apparatus, and Essam Omar, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt.
At the beginning of the meeting, Madbouly stated: 'In light of the continuous directives of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, to provide a reassuring stock of various basic commodities, today's meeting comes to work on providing the largest quantities of red meat, thereby contributing to the continued balance of prices.' He added: 'The most important factor we are working on is the availability of various goods, which contributes to price balance,' also noting that the expansion of one-day markets had contributed to price stability.
The Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation provided an explanation of the ministry's efforts to increase the red meat supply. He indicated that work is underway to increase the number of quarries and slaughterhouses in several areas. Farouk also pointed to the large number of fixed and mobile ministry outlets across various governorates selling meat and other food products. He stated that the ministry is keen to supply more products to these outlets at reduced prices to alleviate the burden on citizens, confirming significant public demand for fresh local meat and its products, which are being sold at reduced prices and in large quantities in preparation for Eid al-Adha.
During his presentation, Alaa El-Din Farouk noted that total domestic red meat requirements amount to approximately one million tonnes annually. Of this, 600,000 tonnes are covered by local production, while the remaining quantity is sourced through imports. The minister also indicated that the Ministry of Agriculture continuously encourages the private sector and supports significant investments in various fields related to importing live animals and red meat, alongside developing and maintaining local production to cover domestic red meat needs without supply shortages.
El-Sayyad discussed the ministry's efforts regarding red meat provision through imports. He confirmed that the ministry has diversified import sources and studied key African red meat producing countries that could be approached due to geographical and regional proximity. Several African countries have already been identified as potential import sources.
El-Ghannam affirmed during the meeting the readiness to establish the required quarries, slaughterhouses, and refrigeration facilities. This would contribute to providing the necessary quantities of meat, balancing its prices in the markets, and making it available to citizens at suitable prices.
El-Ghannam said: 'Cooperation can be established with African countries exporting red meat, and modern quarries and slaughterhouses can be established there, which would benefit both parties.'
El-Ghannam also announced the commencement of coordination for establishing an infant formula factory, in collaboration between the Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development apparatus and the private sector. This initiative is part of a strategic plan aimed at reducing the import bill for this vital commodity.
The Executive Director of the apparatus added: 'This comes within the framework of the recent directives of President Al-Sisi… to establish a national factory for infant formula during the 2025 wheat harvest season events, during which he called for this to be in cooperation between the government, investors, industrialists, and the private sector.'