Thursday, Oct 16, 2008

Gulf News

Dubai, Abu Dhabi: As the world marks World Food Day on Thursday to highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people across the globe, residents in the UAE say they are allocating bigger parts of their budget towards buying food.

Daoud Khalaf, a Jordanian father of three, said increase in food prices in the UAE is taking a toll on people as retailers are take advantage of the global trend.

"While the effect of global inflation might be felt to a certain extent in the UAE, I still feel that the hike here is exaggerated and retailers are seeking to maximise their profits," he said adding that a bigger chunk of his salary is going towards buying food.

Bridget Selvaraj, an Indian mother of two, said her monthly grocery bill has more than doubled in the last year, forcing her to give up monthly savings to maintain her family's lifestyle.

Some people do not only to alter their saving but also need to make a change in their food habit to make end meets.

Mohammad Omair Al Jabiri, 19, an Emirati student said there was a huge increase in food prices recently. "I felt it almost doubled." Fruits and vegetables were the worst hit, he said. "We have reduced the amount of meat and prepare more dishes with rice," he added.

Ursula Pupik, a German operations manager, said prices of basic food items should be controlled. "Otherwise, life will be miserable for common people."

Meanwhile, retailers said that the prices of some basic commodities such as non basmati rice and milk powder have gone down in the UAE and prices are expected to fall further.

Ashraf Ali, executive director of Lulu hypermarket group, said prices have begun falling in the country and more declines are expected in the next six months. "The reason behind the decline is the combination of a stronger dollar and falling oil prices," said Ali.

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