There are certain traditions that are part of the culture in Port Said; such as taking a walk on the beach, playing the Simsimiyya instrument, and eating fresh fish. Fish has always been a main dish on the table of Port Said people, and their fathers, and grandfathers. It is not just a tradition, it is a city heritage, regardless of the financial status of its residents.
However, today, amidst the continuous hiking of fish prices during the last months, and after the liberalisation of the dollar exchange rate to 50 EGP, this tradition is endangered to disappear from the dining tables of low-income families.
“I support a family of six, which includes my wife, four children, and myself. My two sons are in preparatory school, my daughter is in primary school, and the youngest is still an infant. We reside in a furnished rented flat in a working-class neighbourhood. My wife works as a saleswoman in a pharmacy, and together we earn a combined monthly salary ranging between 6,000 to 7,000 EGP,” said Mohamed Al-Alfy, 45 years old, who operates a modest photocopying business.
“Everything in our country is becoming more expensive by the day, and I anticipate that fish prices will rise again, particularly in Port Said,” Mohamed remarked bitterly. He continued, “When I was a child, shops would dispose of leftover fish at the end of the day because it was so cheap; they would throw it into the internal canal. Fishermen would exchange fish as gifts, and I even remember having fish and arugula for breakfast.”
(Infographic: Price of Mullet Fish Meal Ingredients:
1-kilogram of rice: 32 EGP
2-kilograms of Mullet: 360 EGP
Pickles: 5 EGP
Salad: 20 EGP
1-litre of oil: 90 EGP
Total Cost: 507 EGP
The prices listed reflect the average commodity prices in local markets.
Mohamed discusses how the once-popular and affordable fish in Port Said has seen an unreasonable price hike, “Tilapia used to be one of the cheapest fish in the market, costing no more than 30 EGP last year. Now, it costs at least 90 EGP.”
Mohamed calls for taking a stance against the fish shop for exploiting Port Said’s people's love for fish, adding, “I now only eat fish on Fridays, opting for the cheapest available, regardless of the type. This is a stark contrast to the past when we used to enjoy fish throughout the week.”
Similarly, data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, released last October, showed that Egypt’s annual inflation rate fell to 39.7% in September, down from 40.4% in August.
(Infographic: #telescope
Average Cost of Mullet Fish Over a Year of Inflation
Mullet per kilo in EGP
Dollar Rate
March 2023: 125 - 30.7
April 2023: 125 – 30.9
May 2023: 125 – 30.8
June 2023: 160 – 30.8
July 2023: 155 – 30.8
August 2023: 170 – 30.9
September 2023: 170 – 30.8
Octobre 2023: 190 – 30.9
Novembre 2023: 170 – 30.9
Decembre 2023: 190 – 30.8
January 2024: 170 – 30.8
February 2024: 170 – 30.8
March 2024: 180 - 45
Number of times of having Mullet dish per month:
In 2023: 12 times
In 2024: 4 times
Dollar rate according to Egyptian Central Bank
Last September, the prices of various food basket components saw significant increases, accelerating the annual inflation rate. The food and beverages section experienced a 73.6% rise, driven by a 45.8% increase in grains and bread, a 92.8% surge in meat and poultry, an 80.2% hike in fish and seafood, a 70.8% rise in dairy, cheese, and eggs, a 29.4% increase in oils and fats, a 70.9% rise in fruits, a 114.6% surge in vegetables, a 46.8% increase in sugar and sugary foods, and a 68.7% rise in coffee, tea, and cocoa.
This data highlighted a significant increase in the prices of the most popular fish among low- and middle-income families in Port Said. “Al-Porsaidiya” monitored this by comparing current prices with last year’s, as detailed in the following paragraph:
A kilo of white Tilapia has increased to between 75 to 90 EGP, compared to last year’s range of 20 to 35 EGP. Similarly, green Tilapia now costs between 120 to 150 EGP per kilo, rising from 60 to 80 EGP last year. Flathead mullet has risen to 150 EGP per kilo from 70 EGP, Mullet to 190 EGP from 90 EGP, and Siyouf to 120 EGP from 50 EGP.
(Infographic: #telescope
Alternative meal price:
1-kilogram pasta: 30 EGP
1-Kilogram chicken breast fillet: 230 EGP
1-kilogram tomatoes: 10 EGP
1-kilogram onions: 30 EGP
1-litre oil: 90 EGP
Total Cost: 390 EGP
The prices listed reflect the average commodity prices in local markets.
Going back to Port Said families, Alaa Al-Sayed, 63 years old, a retired government employee and avid fishing enthusiast, said, “the primary reason fish prices continue to rise is that people are willing to buy it at any cost. Therefore, everyone in Port Said, both the wealthy and the poor, should stand against the merchants’ greed and boycott fish. The current situation is a reflection of greed at the expense of the citizens. Personally, I have been boycotting fish for over six months and only eat what I catch myself, which is not much since I am an amateur fisherman, and due to the high cost of fishing trips, I go fishing once a week.”
“Fishermen do not set the prices for their catch; instead, merchants aim to profit even if they had to multiply the price. Additionally, most fish sellers are neither fishermen nor fish farm owners, hence they rely on selling to merchants who have started inflating fish prices unreasonably. The transportation costs from farms or fisheries to the market do not justify such high prices. Therefore, we need to reinstate a fixed pricing system for fish to prevent price manipulation,” added Alaa.
(Infographic: #telescope
Average Cost of Chicken Breast Fillet Over a Year of Inflation
Chicken Breast Fillet per kilo in EGP
Dollar Rate
March 2023: 160 - 30.7
April 2023: 160 – 30.9
May 2023: 165 – 30.8
June 2023: 170 – 30.8
July 2023: 160 – 30.8
August 2023: 170 – 30.9
September 2023: 150 – 30.8
Octobre 2023: 160 – 30.9
Novembre 2023: 180 – 30.9
Decembre 2023: 190 – 30.8
January 2024: 210 – 30.8
February 2024: 220 – 30.8
March 2024: 230 - 45
Number of times of having Chicken Breast Fillet per month:
In 2023: 15 times
In 2024: 4 times
Dollar rate according to Egyptian Central Bank
In an effort to address the rising prices, Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly announced on 9th Octobre an agreement to reduce the prices of seven main products’ categories by 15 to 20%.
The decision included the following items: “beans, lentil, dairy, pasta, sugar, oil, rice”, whereas the PM confirmed an agreement with the Poultry Producers Union to lower the prices of live and frozen poultry, as well as table eggs. This price reduction initiative will last for six months, during which an evaluation will be conducted.
Despite fish being excluded from this initiative, the combined effect of the reduced prices and the ongoing depreciation of the Egyptian pound completely negates the impact of the reduction. This has also affected the quality of the goods, according to H.B.
“I am a housewife with a family of five, including my husband, three children, and myself. We live in an old rented apartment. My husband works as a government employee during the day and has an additional evening job. Despite earning around 10,000 EGP a month, the sharp increase in prices for basic food commodities means he spends the entire salary by mid-month,” said H.B., a 50-years old lady, who added, “with the increase in food prices, it felt as though my husband’s salary had been reduced by half. We had to completely boycott some goods and reduce our purchase of others. Initially, my family managed, but over time, we began craving certain foods, like fish, which had become too expensive and buying only one kilo was not enough for a family of five. Growing up in Port Said, we all loved eating various kinds of fish.”
- says the PM’s initiative didn’t have a great impact on her family, “the reduction percentage was rather small and didn’t affect us, for example, I buy fish two or three times a month, as two kilograms of fish, plus the rice and salad can reach 400 EGP to feed a family of five, while I used to buy the same meal ten times a month from a year and half ago, and it used to cost only 200 EGP.”
“Instead of fish now, we eat pasta and frozen meat, the meal costs 145 EGP; it consists of 1-kilogram of pasta at 25 EGP, half-kilogram of frozen chicken breast fillet at 95 EGP, half-kilogram of tomatoes at 25 EGP. Other meals cost less and lack protein, such as legume, Koshary, and potatoes,” added H.
Nearly all other families share the same sentiment as Mohamed, Alaa, and H. Most low-income families can no longer afford to buy fish as they used to, expressing concerns that their salaries will not keep pace with future price increases.
