Egypt faced with bread shortages

[Otto]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa...eref=rss_world

Egypt tries to tackle deadly bread crisis

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Clashes have been breaking out among Egyptians waiting in long lines for subsidized bread and the president has ordered the army to start baking more to contain a political crisis.

The turmoil in the world's most populous Arab country is a stark sign of how rising world food prices are roiling poorer countries.

Government bakeries sell subsidized versions of the flat, round bread that is a staple of people's diets.

Acute shortages of subsidized bread, which is sold at less than one U.S. cent a loaf, have caused hours-long lines and violence at some sites in poor neighborhoods in recent weeks.

At least seven people have died, according to police. Two were stabbed in fights between customers in line, and the rest died of exhaustion or other medical problems aggravated by waiting in the spring heat.

Independent and opposition parties have been sharply critical of President Hosni Mubarak's government, calling the long lines a sign that his government is failing.

"Our life has become so miserable," said one worker, Saber Ahmed, who spends up to four hours daily in bread lines to get 20 pieces of bread for colleagues at the cafe where he works.

The 17-year-old, wearing a ragged T-shirt as he stood in a long line, said he and co-workers can't afford unsubsidized bread, "or any food to eat with it."

Any Egyptian can get subsidized bread under a decades-old system that also provides subsidies for public transportation and gasoline for all. The system also provides subsidies for some other food staples specifically for the poor.

Demand for the subsidized bread has grown steadily in recent months as rising commodity prices -- especially for flour -- have made unsubsidized bread less affordable.

More than 20 percent of Egypt's 76 million people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Unsubsidized bread can sell for 10 to 12 times the subsidized price.

The supply of subsidized bread has been decreasing. Many people in Egypt believe subsidized bakeries sell some of their flour on the black market rather than make bread.

Last week, Mubarak ordered the army to increase the production and distribution of subsidized bread to cope with the shortages.

The army and the Interior Ministry, which controls the police, own bakeries that they normally use to feed their employees.

In recent days, the army has opened 10 large bakeries in Cairo to produce cheap bread and has set up about 500 kiosks to sell bread to the public, said Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi.

The state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper said Mubarak's order to the armed forces to intervene "means that he has declared an emergency state to combat this crisis."

Another columnist in the paper called the bread riots "a very critical moment" for Egypt, demonstrating the gap between rich and poor.

[TheIndependent]

Unsubsidized bread can sell for 10 to 12 times the subsidized price

so, 10 to 12 cents? lol

go socialism!!!

[Otto]

Originally Posted by pdjplano

so, 10 to 12 cents? lol

go socialism!!!

I noticed that too, but then I looked it up. The Gross National Income, per capita, in Egypt was $1350 in 2006. Average income was slightly higher, just over $1450.

[grondramb]

Hmmm perhaps burning corn for fuel isn't such a great idea after all.

[doom1701]

Originally Posted by grondramb

Hmmm perhaps burning corn for fuel isn't such a great idea after all.

You say that like it was ever a good idea.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by grondramb

Hmmm perhaps burning corn for fuel isn't such a great idea after all.

Probably not relevant. Corn production has not increased enough due to ethanol to substantially impact the price of wheat. In other words, we haven't grown much more corn than normal (displacing wheat crops), we've just used more of it to make ethanol. In fact, we grew more wheat this year than last year, because prices are high for it.

Wheat supplies have gone down internationally mostly due to large amounts of drought, I think. This raised the prices way up and lowered the amounts kept stockpiled.

Also, Egypt grows more than half their own wheat.

[aindik]

They were warned of the seven lean years. They should have listened.

[Turtleboy]

Maybe they can make more if they don't wait for it to rise.

[retrodog]

Well if they'd get their a-rab brothers to drop the price of oil, maybe it wouldn't cost so damn much to ship bread over to them.

[busyba]

Why don't they just eat cake?

[betamax]

They now have the army busy baking bread? Sounds like a good time to take over a country.

[aindik]

Originally Posted by Turtleboy

Maybe they can make more if they don't wait for it to rise.

I was torn on which biblical reference to use. I think you picked the right one.



Reports of Egypt running out of bread during Passover season make me chuckle a little bit.