| Abstract: |
Agricultural is the principal source of food and some essential raw materials
for industrial development. It accounts for almost 18-20% of the Egyptian
gross domestic production, for about 17-19% of export earning and employs 32%
of the workforce. Increasing Egyptian demand for food yearly, due mainly to
the growth of the population considers one of the reasons which caused raising
imports. The red meat of staple food commodities that meet Egypt in the
proportion of sufficiency was about 73.6% in 2011, having reached the
quantities available for consumption of red meat about 1251 tons, while the
average individual share of 15.3 kg / year in 2011, increasing an annual rate
was about 1.25% during the study period (1992-2011). This shows that the high
prices of red meat that makes the consumer to alternatives available in the
markets where the average individual share of fish and poultry were about
18.9, and about 13.8 kg / year in 2011 respectively, while the annual growth
rate was about 4.87% and 2.04% of fish and poultry, respectively during the
period (1992-2011). The shortage of providing food from animal protein is very
important because it is one of the components of the major food necessary for
human nutrition and the maintenance of health, it is access to sources of
animal protein from red meat, poultry and fish, it is associated with the
demand by increasing population, increasing expenditure income and the level
of awareness of health and nutrition of the population, and increase the
average per capita, with an average individual share consumption of red meat,
fish and poultry in Egypt with about 13.63, 13.18 and 10.93 kg / year during
the study period (1992-2011), while the annual growth rate was about 1.48%,
5.04%, 2.3%, respectively, which demonstrates that the rate of increase in
population growth exceeded the rate of increase and improve the demand for red
meat due to increase the incomes as a result of continuous rise in the price
of red meat and low average per capita, resulting in the transformation of
consumer to the alternatives available in the market of animal protein
resources such as fish meat and poultry. The study results showed that the
demand for red meat using the Almost Ideal Demand System( AIDS) in Egypt
during the study period (1992-2011) as follows: • The most important factors
affecting the demand for red meat in Egypt during the study period ware the
average retail price of red meat, fish, poultry and expenditure on red meat. •
High proportion of expenditure for the Egyptian consumer on the red meat for
fish and poultry which amounted to about 57.97%, 23.62% and 18.41%
respectively, it means that consumer preference for red meat, fish and poultry
in bridging the requirements of the animal protein products. • Most of
consumer income spent on red meat because the significant value of demand
elasticity expenditure coefficient. • The research showed that the value of
the signal coefficient of price elasticity of demand cross - compensated that
red meat and fish are considered alternative or competing commodities, thus
raising the price of fish entail a reduction in the proportion of expenditure
on red meat. • The research showed also found that red meat and poultry are
considered alternative or competing commodities, which increases the price of
poultry, leading to increase in the proportion of expenditure on red meat. |
| Keywords: |
Demand elasticity, animal protein, food commodities, consumption, Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, |