Amman: Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Ya'rub Qudah, reiterated on Wednesday that the government will take effective and prompt measures to mitigate the impact on the local market of soaring global commodity prices, particularly meat, to achieve a balance between supply sustainability and consumer protection. He spoke at a meeting with fresh and frozen meat importers, attended by Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khraisat and Jordan Chamber of Commerce President, Senator Khalil Al-Haj Tawfiq, to discuss global meat price hikes, given supply chain disruptions and growing global demand.
According to Jordan News Agency, Qudah said the industry ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and in partnership with the private sector, will address key factors that drove up meat prices with the aim of maintaining supply chains and increasing quantities imported into the Kingdom, especially to the Greater Amman Municipality's slaughterhouse, which has recently seen a drop in deliveries. He said various measures will be considered to ensure the continuity of imports and curb price hikes, which will positively impact the local market, adding that the Ministry will step up market tracking in the coming period to crack down on price gouging.
Qudah stressed the partnership with the private sector to maintain market stability and ensure goods are available in appropriate quantities and at reasonable prices. For his part, the agriculture minister said the ministry, in cooperation with the private sector, will facilitate opening new import markets and ease procedures that limit increased import volumes. He said the ministry has been working since the beginning of the crisis to facilitate imports and increase quantities to mitigate price hikes.
Khraisat pledged to boost meat reserves through diversifying import sources and monitoring supply chains to ensure commodities are available in the local market without disruption. Also addressing the meeting, Al-Haj Tawfiq, who is also head of the Foodstuff Traders Syndicate, said that among the key reasons behind meat price hikes are increased shipping costs, rising global demand, as well as suspension of several airlines that transported significant quantities.
He said the syndicate will launch an initiative to encourage malls and hypermarkets to sell meat at cost price during this period until the crisis subsides to alleviate the burden on citizens. Meanwhile, importers of fresh and frozen meat presented the reasons behind the price hikes, assuring there were no predatory tactics or supply restrictions. They pledged to work in the coming week to double imports, targeting new markets with lower prices and shipping costs.