United Arab Emirates may limit food prices, including imported chicken

The Persian Gulf country could limit prices for chicken and milk, said Mariam Almheiri, minister of state for food and water security. Global food prices rose to the highest level in six years last month, according to a United Nations index. The rise was driven by crops such as corn and soybeans, which are widely used for farm feed. This raises concerns about food inflation in countries already under pressure following the disruption of supply chains caused by the coronavirus pandemic. "We are studying this very carefully and we may need some adjustments," said Almheiri in an interview, adding that the controls could be applied to both local and imported products. The possible measure shows that even rich countries are not immune from inflation. The United Arab Emirates, dominated by the desert and which import 90% of their food, allow the Ministry of Economy to control prices, although such a measure is rare. Almheiri, who took over the ministry in 2017, works to improve food ...