Egyptian food makers raise prices as cost pressure returns

Egyptian food companies raised prices on selected products in September and October, in what Asharq Business reports is the second broad round of food-price increases this year. The sharpest move was in wholesale sugar: several producers lifted the price charged at the factory gate from 21,000 Egyptian pounds to 26,000 pounds a ton within a month, a 23.8% increase, while locally milled flour rose about 25% in September. Pasta prices rose roughly 13% to 14%, while dairy and cheese brands made smaller increases of 3% to 6%. The impact at the checkout will vary, but the pattern shows how more expensive ingredients, imported materials and shipping are again moving through the food supply chain to households and businesses such as bakeries.