CAIRO: Egyptian families hard hit by the country’s economic instability are finding they cannot afford to buy sacrificial animals during Eid Al-Adha.
“Egyptians spent several million pounds last year during the Eid Al-Adha season on the purchase of sacrificial animals and meat. However, this year, we expect that figure to drop substantially,” economist Adel Amer told Arab News.
Amer highlighted the extent of the economic strain on Egyptian households.
A large number of Egyptian families were abstaining from buying sacrificial animals because of “unstable economic circumstances,” he said.
“Instead, they’re pooling their resources, with as many as five families joining forces to purchase a single lamb. Others are settling for just buying meat,” he added.
Amer pointed to a significant hike in the prices of sacrificial offerings in 2023 compared with previous years.
Sayed Abdel Raouf, a sheep trader, echoed his observations and painted a dire picture of the current market conditions.
“The economic situation in Egypt is unstable, which is evident from the decreased demand for sheep,” he told Arab News.
“Last year, we would sell around 50 sheep daily leading up to Eid — a number that would double on the day of the Arafa stand.
“This year, however, we are only selling about 10 sheep due to the elevated price of a kilo of lamb meat before slaughter, which has shot up to 160 pounds ($5.20).
“As a result, the cost of a sheep can now reach as much as 11 or 12,000 pounds — a hefty sum for most Egyptian families,” said Rouf.
A sheep would cost no more than 6,000 pounds a few years ago, he said.
Raouf said that some families who cannot afford to buy sheep instead bring their children to take photos with the animals.
He added jokingly: “I considered capitalizing on this by charging a fee for pictures.”
Meanwhile, Farid Al-Jundi, the head of a family of five, told Arab News about the stark reality of his situation.
“I inquired about the price of a sheep, which was around 11,000 pounds. With the per kilo price of meat at 300 pounds and above, I could only afford to buy 5 kg this year.
“That cost me about 1,500 pounds, which is just enough for us during the Eid days.
“However, I won’t be able to maintain the traditional sacrifice and distribution as I used to in previous years, due to the economic conditions,” he said.
