The price of tomatoes in Egypt has risen by 400%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, which confirmed that “the greed of traders is the main reason for the increase.”
Mahmoud Atta, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture for Agricultural Crops in Egypt, said: “The price of tomatoes always rises from the beginning of September to mid-October, but this time the increases reached 400%.”
He added, “There are two reasons for the increase: the interval between the crops and the multiplicity of intermediaries in the commodity,” noting that “there is a state of greed among some traders that appears specifically at the end of the agricultural crop, which leads to increases of up to 400%,” describing this matter as “unacceptable.”
He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture “is cooperating with the Ministry of Supply and all relevant authorities to control markets with regard to agricultural crops.”
According to Egyptian media, Mahmoud Atta stressed that “Egypt does not suffer from a production crisis, but rather has self-sufficiency in all vegetable and fruit crops, and is one of the leading countries in exporting, with a volume reaching 6.4 million tons this year.”
Regarding the potato crisis, he explained that “Egypt cultivates approximately 500,000 acres of potatoes, produces approximately 6 million tons of potatoes annually, and exports only one million tons,” adding: “4 million tons of potatoes are offered in the markets, and the annual need is 3.5 million tons, so the natural surplus is approximately half a million, commenting: We do not have any production problems.”
By 400%.. A dangerous secret behind the rise in tomato prices in the markets #Sada_Albalad #Editorial_Hall
Posted bySada ElbaladIn Wednesday, September 25, 2024
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2024-09-26 14:47:33