Poultry prices in the local market have risen by approximately 16%, reaching 105 Egyptian pounds ($2) per kilogram for consumers, up from 90 pounds (about $1.70) last week. Two traders attributed the hike to an “increase in the pace of exports recently.”
Abdel Aziz El-Sayed, head of the Poultry Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, believes the current increase does not reflect a real rise in demand. Instead, he says, it stems from speculation by farms and traders exploiting news of exports to raise prices, despite relatively weak local demand.
Last week, the Egyptian Poultry Association announced the export of the first shipment to the Qatari market, consisting of 10 containers totaling 300 tons. The association stated that production currently exceeds domestic demand. This prompted moves to export the surplus in an effort to “regulate the market and avoid a price collapse.”
El-Sayed explained to Al Manassa that exports do not inherently put significant pressure on local supply, given weak demand. However, the tendency of some exporters to purchase smaller birds (between 900 and 1,200 grams) to suit foreign markets has contributed to the price increase.
Abdel Nabi Abdel Aal, secretary of the Poultry Division at the Chamber of Commerce, stated that the local market is currently experiencing a production surplus. He noted that Egypt has achieved semi-self-sufficiency in poultry, with a stock of frozen and processed products available, making current price changes more related to market behavior than a shortage of supply.
Last February, poultry prices surged, reaching 140 pounds (about $2.65) per kilogram for white poultry due to increased demand ahead of Ramadan and export operations. Prices stabilized after the government halted exports at the time, according to previous statements made to Al Manassa by association head Mahmoud Al-Anani.
