World Grain - November 2024 - 52

Egypt
E
by Shem Oirere
gypt, Africa's biggest wheat producer and consumer,
has been implementing in recent years an
ambitious national wheat market expansion plan
aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in wheat production
and reducing its wheat import bill that increased to $3.8
billion between 2017 and 2021.
The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture
and Land Reclamation, and the country's private sector
have been investing in wheat research and development,
and improving access to financing for the
wheat farmers to boost their production and marketing
capabilities.
The investment also is being channeled to promote
the adoption of modern technologies in wheat growing
and best practices, especially utilization of modern irrigation
systems on old and reclaimed land.
Egypt's wheat production for the 2024-25 marketing
year is estimated at 9.2 million tonnes, slightly higher than
the 9 million tonnes the previous year. The government
attributes the rise in output to the 50,000-hectare year-onyear
increase in wheat planted area, now at 1.4 million.
Although Egypt's production volumes rose in the last
marketing year, the output was still well below national
consumption of more than 20 million tonnes per year.
With a population of 106 million people, Egypt's
wheat consumption levels are expected to reach 20.65
million tonnes in the short term, an increase likely to
52
be sustained through 2030 when the population is projected
to reach 124 million people.
Egypt's food subsidy scheme also is expected to continue
to drive the country's wheat consumption demand
higher. The subsidy program allows beneficiaries to acquire
a smart ration card from the government to access
subsidized items such as bread.
The scheme enables beneficiaries to have a bread allowance
of five baladi bread loaves per beneficiary per
day at the subsidized price for a maximum of four beneficiaries
per household, according to the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFRI).
The Institute said an estimated 73 million people
benefited from the baladi bread subsidy program in
2023. This scheme is expected to contribute to the high
wheat consumption levels in Egypt.
Moreover, Egypt runs a parallel flour subsidy program
that gives consumers the opportunity to obtain 10
kilograms of subsidized flour monthly per person at a
price of 63 cents " as an alternative to subsidized bread. "
The USDA estimated the cost of Egypt's flour subsidy
program in the 2024-25 national budget at $109 million.
Ambitious agenda
Egypt relies on wheat imports to address a more than
10-million-tonne deficit annually, which made it the
world's biggest wheat importer in 2021, accounting for
November 2024 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
aiming for self-sufficiency in wheat
Imports currently comprise about half of the country's wheat supply
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World Grain - November 2024

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