Egg Prices Trigger Boycott Call

Posters on an online forum behind a series of campaigns to boycott local products are now targeting eggs, whose prices have risen in recent months from around SR7 to as high as SR18.

Anonymous movie posters on the forum, entitled Moqataa, launched their campaign around two weeks ago. They are currently raising awareness about the boycott using e-mails and SMS messages.

Campaigners say those behind the price-hike think that the public is naeve. "They once told us that the increase in price was because of bird flu, which affected a lot of poultry farms by causing production to decrease and prices to increase," said a poster on the forum. "Some say feed prices have increased... Everyone is accusing the other."

"Moqataa," the forum's supervisor, said that eggs expire in two weeks and that a boycott would pressure companies to reconsider their prices. "Through the campaign we aim to decrease egg prices, making them affordable to everyone," he said.

Visitors to the forum, from diverse backgrounds, use aliases to express their opinions. Over 95 percent of registered members, numbering around 8,000, are supporting the boycott. "Even if half of them boycott eggs then that is still a good number. We're trying to spread news about our campaign," he added.

A senior member of the forum, who calls himself "Don't push" in Arabic, said that the boycott might be extended. "Through this campaign, we wish poultry companies will be hit by losses that would make them regret increasing their prices," he said.

"Moqataa" said the most effective boycotting campaign undertaken by the group was one against dairy companies. He, however, ignored a question whether the boycott was successful.

A junior member, called "Spotlight," said he started boycotting eggs two months ago. "Local products are not monitored or supervised here. I've also stopped buying local chicken. I only buy French. I'm boycotting all local products."

April 14, 2008