Jasmine farmers struggling as factories set prices
419 views · Published 1 December 2018 · 6:49 · Indexed 16 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(26 Nov 2018) LEADIN Jasmine farmers in Egypt want the government to help regulate the prices paid for their produce. They say without a regulator, factories are now setting prices, leaving farmers with little to survive on. STORYLINE 93 kilometres west of the Egyptian capital Cairo sits a community living off the jasmine industry. In Shobra Blola in Qotor City, farmers go out into the jasmine fields to collect the fragrant white flowers around the clock. "I wake up at 2 am. When I arrive here, it would be 2:30 am and I finish at 9 am. By 9 am I would have collected 3 kilograms (of jasmine)," explains farmer Mohamed Galal. He adds that he is not alone and is usually accompanied by more workers. Galal says this area is particularly significant for the jasmine industry worldwide. "The two factories that exist now are considered world-class. So, these factories gave us an edge, because this tree (jasmine) has been here for ages," he says. However Galal adds that despite the prestige of the factories, they are now becoming the source of financial strain for the farmers. "We don't have a regulator that determines the pricing of jasmine. The factories are the ones who buy the product with the prices that they want. We don't have any option other than succumbing to the price they give us," he says. He says he and his workers are forced to survive on just 60 Egyptian Pounds (3.34 US Dollars) per day. Khaled El-Rifai, a courier who delivers jasmine produce, has witnessed the farmers' problems first hand. He says that they also receive no support or awareness from government authorities: "The municipality isn't aware of anything. As you have seen the farmer collects the crops, then I deliver it to the factory and the factory sets its prices and exports it to wherever and whoever it likes." Factory owner Mohamed Abou Gebeen explains how the jasmine industry originated in Egypt. However these days they sell the raw product to foreign countries, who then manufacture and sell it back to Egypt as products such as creams and shampoos. Because of this, he says prices are actually being controlled abroad, but benefit the local economy in terms of bringing in foreign currency. "These factories get hard currencies to the Egyptian economy," he says. But he adds that the cost of running the factories has also increased: "Some say that the prices are the same as last year. Even though everything increased such as solar, electricity, water, the (number of) workers have increased as well." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/633fa03c0422984b6efb645e9167e0f0
