CAIRO: Social media users have recently launched a campaign calling on individuals, food outlets and companies to boycott meat over its “sky-rocketing price.”
In protest to soaring meat prices, Balaha Lahma, which translates to “Let us forget about meat,” Twitter campaign was launched last week to boycott both local and imported meat until the prices drop.
“We call on rich people to boycott meat to face the greedy butchers. We need to be effective and we need to have strong impact in order to force prices down,” Twitter user Ahmed Salah wrote, referring to the 25 percent increase in veal prices during the past six weeks.
The campaign comes as a kilogram of veal sells for 100 EGP ($14) while local buffalo meat has risen to 75 EGP per kilogram.
“I wonder how much further the meat price will rise given that Eid al-Adha is approaching,” said Kamilia Shazly; a mother of three children wrote, pointing out the slight rise in her monthly wage is not to be compared with the recent increase in prices of basic commodities including meat.
Eid al-Adha is a four-day food-centric holiday where Muslims celebrate their faith by sacrificing animals, and eating as well as donating the meat. This year, it falls on Sept. 23.
Head of Egypt’s Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) Atef Yacoub praised the campaign calling on citizens to “buy other alternatives rich in protein including chicken and fish.”
“A meat boycott is the maximum punishment handed out to any greedy butcher and is in fact the best way to stop price manipulation on meat,” Yacoub told Al Masry Al Youm.