Egypt

Corn growers protest as govt declines to buy crop

The government has declined to purchase this year’s corn crop, despite announcing in September the price it would pay for corn. This has prompted protests from farmers in Daqahlia.

"The government prevented us from growing rice and forced us to grow corn under the pretext that it will buy the crop," said Mohsen Awadein, a farmer.

"It seems the government wants us to go look for another profession," said corn grower Gamal el-Lawendi.

Corn merchant Maher el-Awadi said he bought corn from farmers to resell to the government for LE200-LE230 per ton, the price announced in September. "Now I have the stuff stacked since last October."

"We had to sell our crop as animal feed to reduce our losses," said Ali Abed, another corn farmer.

Member of parliament Talaat Metawe filed an interpellation to the ministers of agriculture and social solidarity requesting an explanation. "The government prefers to import corn and wheat than have our farmers grow them," he said.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

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