Egg prices in Qatar are going up, local retailers and consumers have said after Saudi Arabia imposed a ban on poultry exports last week.

The ban, which KSA instituted to bring chicken prices down at home in response to an online protest, appears to include fresh and frozen chicken, as well as eggs.

Qatar, which imports 90 percent of its food, is especially vulnerable to market changes, but appears to have learned from the 2009 bird flu scare that kept fresh chicken and eggs off the shelves for weeks.

Through local supplies, it has managed to keep chicken prices steady over the weekend. It also plans to meet demand with imports from Brazil, Oman and the UAE, the Peninsula reports. 

But the cost of Saudi eggs, which account for some 60 percent of the market, have jumped considerably, with a carton of 30 “excellent” grade eggs now going for QR44, Al Raya reports. The price jump has also resulted in a shortage of lower-priced eggs, the newspaper said.

The Peninsula reports:

“In the past, Saudi government only imposed restrictions on poultry export but this year it is a total ban and that is causing shortages,” a wholesaler said on grounds of anonymity. Retail prices of the Saudi Al Wataniya eggs that are quite popular here have soared to QR19.50 per tray (30 eggs) after its wholesale rates jumped to QR226 for a carton (360 eggs).

“We don’t have Al Wataniya stocks any more and supplies have also been stopped by exporters,” said an official at a wholesale agency. 

Have you noticed any price fluctuations at the supermarket?

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Omar Chatriwala