Egypt’s Agricultural Ministry has launched a sweeping anti-fraud campaign targeting the feed market. The initiative comes amid rising complaints from farmers about adulterated products and soaring costs. Authorities say the crackdown aims to restore order, protect livestock health, and support the country’s food supply chain.
State intervention in feed market
“In light of the widespread illegal practices in the market, such as the trade in adulterated or unknown-source feed, there is an urgent need for decisive state intervention,” the Ministry has said in a statement on its Facebook page.
The Ministry added that these efforts are part of a comprehensive government plan aimed at “restoring discipline on the feed market” and supporting farmers who face challenges from rising prices and the poor quality of animal feed.
The campaign is launched in response to the consistent complaints from poultry farmers about the low and inconsistent quality of feed on the local market.
Low feeding efficiency
Several studies showed that low-quality feed is one of the key factors hampering the productivity of the poultry and livestock sector in the country.
The average feed efficiency of broiler farms was estimated at 2.7 tonnes of feed per tonne of liveweight, AgEconSearch, a consultancy, reported, citing several field studies. In developed countries, this figure is close to 2 tonnes of feed, the analysts noted, assuming that it is possible to save 25% of the feed costs by improving feed efficiency.
Early results from inspections
The efforts taken by the Ministry have already borne fruit, as revealed by Mohamed El-Qersh, media advisor to the Agricultural Ministry.
“Inspection teams, in cooperation with the Supply Investigations Department and regulatory authorities, have detected numerous violations, including the circulation of feed of unknown origin, expired feed, or feed stored in unsanitary conditions,” El-Qersh said, adding that the dangerous products were seized, and violators faced not only fines, but also imprisonment.
Levelling the playing field
According to El-Qersh, the punishment is not the key target of the campaign.
Instead, he continued, the government aims to level the playing field in the Egyptian feed industry, which is expected to encourage businesses to invest in feed production capacities.
Furthermore, the Ministry believes that restoring order to the market will have a ripple effect on the food supply chain, leading to a more reliable and safe food system, as stated by El-Qersh.
Farmers back the initiative
The government’s anti-fraud campaign was welcomed by local farmers.
Hussein Abu Saddam, head of the Farmers Syndicate, commented: “We strongly support the inspection campaigns launched against feed sellers, especially in light of the significant rise in feed prices and ongoing doubts about the quality of some products circulating on the market.”
“Poor or adulterated feed not only affects animal health, but also leads to a decline in the quality of meat and dairy, harming agricultural and food production in general,” Saddam noted.
