Imported wheat ratio increased to 25% in milling operations

Rana Yehia
3 Min Read
A Pakistani woman harvests wheat in Lahore on April 13, 2010. As the wheat harvesting continues in full swing in Sindh province and southern Punjab, its production is expected to be around 24 million tons this year. AFP PHOTO/Arif ALI

The Ministry of Supply has agreed to amend the mixing ratios between domestic and imported wheat during the milling operation to provide flour for bakeries, said the Minister of Supply, Khaled Hanafy on Saturday, during a periodic meeting with the managers of the governorates’ supply directorates.

The new wheat ratios will be amended from 15% of imported wheat and 85% of domestic wheat to 25% of imported and 75% domestic, said Hanafy.

The ministry is importing wheat from several countries through global stock markets, such as Russia, Romania, Canada, France, Argentine, the United States, Ukraine and others. The offer that has the finest quality and lowest price is the one chosen by the ministry after a bid.

Last July, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) purchased 175,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at an average price of $205 per tonne, the minister of supply announced in July.

With this purchase, the strategic reserves of local and imported wheat are sufficient until mid-February 2016.

Meanwhile, GASC signed a contract last February, to purchase 290,000 tonnes of American wheat at an average cost of $273.11 per tonne.

Egypt is the largest importer of wheat in the world, as domestic production is not sufficient, reaching 3.7m tonnes in 2014. However, the production increased this year, as the Ministry of Supply received 5m tonnes of wheat from farmers in various governorates.

Furthermore, imports of large quantities of Sudanese cattle are being negotiated to be slaughtered in the Egyptian slaughterhouses under veterinary supervision, according to Hanafy.

The meat will be available in all the consumption complexes’ branches and the two wholesale companies in all governorates, especially the Upper Egypt, with affordable prices for low-income individuals,the minister added.

Last February, reflecting on the monthly sales rate, Hanafy said that Sudanese meat were sold for EGP 35 per kilo. He further said, back then, that 220 cattle are slaughtered everyday as demand on meat is very high.

During the meeting, Hanafy asked the directorates’ managers to encourage citizens to start bakeries or ration grocery stores in the regions with high population capacity and lack of stores.

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