Egypt army to tackle bread crisis

Egypt's president has ordered the army to increase the production and distribution of bread, in an attempt to cope with serious shortages.

Rising prices and alleged corruption have sparked recent clashes at bakeries in poorer neighbourhoods, leading to several deaths.

Hosni Mubarak said eradicating bread queues was "imperative".

The army and interior ministry control numerous bakeries normally used to supply bread for troops and police.

Mr Mubarak issued his order to the army at a meeting of cabinet ministers on Sunday that was called to address the growing crisis, his spokesman said.

"Bread should be provided to the citizens and the lines should disappear," Suleiman Awwad quoted Mr Mubarak as saying.

The price of wheat has more than tripled on international markets since last summer.

Mr Mubarak has ordered the government to use some foreign reserves to buy additional wheat from the international market, the spokesman said.

Many of Egypt's 70m population, about half of whom live below the poverty line, survive on subsidised bread.


Unsubsidised bread is 10-12 times more expensive than the subsidised five-piaster loafs (less that $0.01).

Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7300899.stm)

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche...

:seeyalater:
:behead:

damn I'm glad I live in the great USA!

"Many of Egypt's 70m population, about half of whom live below the poverty line, survive on subsidised bread."

I had no idea Egypt had that much poverty. Given the area they're in, it makes sense, but they seemed to me to have a bit more financial resources.

"Unsubsidised bread is 10-12 times more expensive than the subsidised five-piaster loafs (less that $0.01)." so... it's 10 or 12 cents? that's a bad sign if you can't afford 10 cent bread.

I did not know that Egypt was in that bad of shape. I remember 33 cent a loaf bread here in the midwest, no more than four or five years ago. Now, the old lady has me on whole wheat bread. The white is bad for me (so she says). I just hope that this will not occur in the USA. Subsidized bread, during the Reagan Administration we got some of that cheese that they gave away in the 1980's and we loved the stuff. When you are hungry, you can not think of anything else. Great post, Pook.

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche...

:seeyalater:
:behead:

LOL@Marie-Therese !

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche...
Loosely translated, That they will eat brioche. Help me if I am wrong, Che.

brioche = cake?

Is that the old saying "Let them eat cake!" I never made the connection....must be the drugs.

hahaha, yeah, that's what it means. Usually attributed to Marie Antoinette, but recently claimed to be said by Marie-Therese.

"The peasants have no bread"
"Let them eat cake!"

Not exactly cake (http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&q=%22how+to+make+brioche%22&btnG=Rechercher&meta=) ;)