Muslim claim Jews are greedy... Unholy price rise before holy month bites consumers hard

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Consumers claim they are noticing a price increase of at least 20 to 30 percent on staple items such as poultry and meat, cheese and canned food as the holy month of Ramadan approaches. “I noticed that the price hikes first began about two weeks ago when I went to the wholesale store to purchase some chicken and found the price had been increased from SR35 to SR58,” Sawsan Al-Gahtani, a Saudi mother of five, told Arab News. Al-Gahtani said she has been shopping for Ramadan for the past month and keeping most items in the freezer as a way to beat the price hikes, but despite her efforts she said she has already been forced to pay inflated prices. “I asked the cashiers and store managers why the prices have suddenly increased, and was told the rises in prices are from global manufacturers who have raised their export prices,” Al-Gahtani said. She added that she did not believe what she was told because the same price rises were apparently occurring every year. Other staple items witnessing price increases are vegetables including onions, tomatoes and parsley. The price of tomatoes, SR8 to SR10 per container a month ago, has increased to between SR15 and SR20. Prices of red and white onion bags have increased from SR10 each to between SR12 and SR15. However local vendors deny they are to blame for the price hikes. “Tomatoes are imported from Syria and onions from Egypt and Yemen, which have all been experiencing political unrest, lowering supply and in turn causing price increases,” Faisal Al-Hajaibi, a vendor at the vegetable market in Jeddah, told Arab News. Full Story>>

Muslim claim Jews are greedy... Unholy price rise before holy month bites consumers hard http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article469782.ece