Meat Gets Costlier as Eid Approaches

dubai — Your Eid feasts are surely going to be a tad costlier than you expected.

by

Dhanusha Gokulan

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Published: Tue 30 Sep 2008, 1:18 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 7:50 PM

The sudden increase in demand for meat products due to the Eid Al Fitr rush has left supermarkets with a shortage of these products, encouraging some of them to jack up prices.

Prices have shot up to as much as Dh27 for 1kg of fresh Indian mutton, Dh16 for 1kg of fresh chicken and Dh24 for 1kg of Australian beef in the last two days. This is when the Ministry of Economy-regulated prices for the holy month of Ramadan are Dh20 for 1kg of fresh Indian mutton and Dh13 for 1kg of fresh chicken, whereas the Union Cooperative Society price list for Ramadan shows 1kg of Australian beef costing Dh18.

Supermarkets claim that the rush and shortage are normal towards the end of Ramadan, but consumers say even if there is a shortage it should only be on the day before Eid. This reporter who visited some of the retail outlets in Dubai and Sharjah found that prices have been hiked in the last few days.

At the beginning of Ramadan, the Ministry of Economy penalised some outlets which had increased the prices of some commodities.

An official of Emirates Modern Poultry said: “On an average, we slaughter 36,000 birds per day and all of them are distributed in the markets.

“The price of 1kg of fresh chicken is Dh16.50 and Dh17 if it is on credit. We do not change our distribution pattern during Ramadan or Eid.”

The Al Rashidiya branch of Union Cooperative Society faced a shortage of meat on Sunday, which, its officials said, would end when a fresh supplies arrived in a day or two. They said they stick to the ministry’s subsidised prices.

Shyam Bhambani, supermarkets director of Al Maya Group, said: “We import mutton from India. The supply has come down. Only 50 per cent of the orders we place arrive.

“Even Australian mutton has been coming in lesser quantities. Some of our branches in Sharjah sell Indian mutton at Dh20 a kilogram and fresh chicken at Dh12.50 a kilogram.”

Khaleej Times found that some outlets were selling 1kg of Indian mutton for Dh22.95-24.

Manoj Thanwani, director of Choithram Supermarkets, said: “We buy mutton from various abattoirs in the UAE. The increase in demand during this time of the year is normal.”

An official of Mohideen Kutty Traders, wholesale dealers of meat and meat products, said they haven’t cut down the supply. “Supply during Ramadan is low, and it increases dramatically towards the end of the holy month.”

Residents like Musarat Hameed bear the brunt of the shortage. “I went to shop at a supermarket a week back, and bought a lot of goods in bulk. I had to pay Dh27 for a kilogram of mutton, whereas last year, I had paid only Dh20 for the same. Prices of other products like fish have also increased. Retail outlets should avoid hiking prices and hoarding products,” said Hameed.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com


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