Saturday, Apr 05, 2014
Dubai: Local food products are, without a doubt, much cheaper than imported ones, as evidenced by a list compiled by Gulf News to compare locally produced items with imported items.
Despite the cheaper prices, however, some residents say they don’t make their choice based on price alone.
According to Hamad Yousuf, a media director with an ad agency in Dubai, shopping for food items often makes the buyer consider the country of origin of the item. “Each country is known for producing a certain fruit,” he says. “For example, I always buy Egyptian oranges. For apples I prefer those imported from Arab countries such as Jordan and Lebanon because they are very juicy.”
Although some of the imported food items are more expensive than local products — due to the addition of transportation fees — Yousuf prefers to buy the best of what every country has to offer because they taste good.
On the other hand, Manal Waleed, a mother of three, believes local vegetables and fruits are better than imported ones.
“They are just as good and cheaper. Going to the local fruit and vegetable market instead of hypermarkets allows you to bargain with the sellers and reduce the price even further,” she says.
Another consumer, Ehab Qazooh, believes growers are out to make profits by branding their produce as organic. “I have been to the farmers’ market at Safa Park. Everyone was marketing their products as ‘homegrown’ and ‘chemical-free’ and charging triple the price. This shows that not all locally produced food is cheaper as compared to imported stuff.”
By Noor Nazzal Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
