Egypt strategic wheat reserves enough to last until end-February

Egypt’s strategic wheat reserves stand at 4.8 million tonnes, sufficient to last until next February, supply ministry spokesman Mamdouh Ramadan said Monday.

Egypt, the world’s top importer of grain, is aiming to boost domestic production in an effort to cut its import bill. The state and private buyers purchase around 9.6 million tonnes from abroad annually.

The Supply Ministry received about 3.4 million tonnes of wheat from farmers during the latest season, which ends with the start of the local harvest.

Egypt’s local wheat harvest begins around mid-April and runs through July.

The North African country has been tightening its policing local wheat procurement to prevent fraud.

The world’s biggest wheat buyer has panicked global suppliers in recent weeks by referring the two cargoes to its public prosecutor for containing what it said were drug-producing poppy seeds. The prosecutor has yet to issue a final decision on whether the wheat should be re-exported.

Last spring, Egypt  imposed new requirements for imported wheat, raising the protein content to 12.5 percent from 11.5 percent for wheat bought from Ukraine and Russia.