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Egypt turns to Malaysia, Indonesia for vegetable oil amid food export bans

Amid a severe shortage and soaring local prices, Egypt is exerting efforts to resume imports of vegetable oil from Indonesia and Malaysia.
A picture taken on Sept. 25, 2011, shows a worker loading palm oil fruits onto a lorry at a plantation in Bintulu Sarawak.

The recent shortage of vegetable oil in Egypt has escalated the food supply crisis in the North African country, with prices climbing since May 15.

According to the new price lists for edible oils announced by Arma Food Industries Company and the Savola Group, two of the largest edible oil companies in Egypt, prices on May 15 registered 9 Egyptian pounds (about 50 cents) for a bottle of less than a liter and 23 Egyptian pounds ($1.23) for a 2.2 liter bottle.

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