Study on Demand of Animal Protein Resources in Egypt

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