Nader Saad, spokesperson for the Egyptian Cabinet, confirmed that Egypt has a strategic wheat stock close to five million tons in silos or mills, noting that local wheat will join the strategic stock starting April 15, which will be sufficient for nine months. The official Egyptian News Agency reported yesterday (Saturday) that the Cabinet spokesperson mentioned Egypt is working on a plan to import wheat from other regions instead of Russia and Ukraine.
Saad stated, "Egypt has 14 approved countries for wheat supply, some of which are outside the European continent." Russia and Ukraine are typically the largest wheat exporters to Egypt, which is the world's largest wheat importer. In 2021, Russian imports accounted for about 50 percent, while Ukrainian imports made up 30 percent of Egypt's total wheat imports, according to data from two regional traders.
In a phone interview with a private Egyptian channel, Saad mentioned that the central bank and the government are working to secure Egyptian needs, as reported by the official agency. He expressed hope that the Russian-Ukrainian crisis would not extend for a long time to avoid putting significant pressure on the budget.
