Egypt’s current stock of wheat is sufficient till March 5th of 2014, the country’s Supply Minister asserted on Saturday.
Owing to the growing shortage in Egypt’s strategic wheat reserves, Dr. Mohamed Abu Shady – Minister of Supply and Internal Trade – stated that the current interim government was forced to import 2.3 million tons of wheat.
In a statement released by the state-owned news agency MENA, Minister Abu Shady added that Egypt has recently imported 2.3 million tons of wheat.
He further said Egypt’s wheat milling capacity is set to reach 3 million tons as soon the government completes its plan to establish 100 mills.
Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer, which usually purchases around 10 million tons of wheat per year from international markets and uses a mixture of domestic and imported wheat for its subsidised bread program.
Last July, the Egyptian Supply Minister had an interview with Reuters revealing that the biggest mistake deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi made was stopping wheat imports. Morsi’s government made “incorrect calculations” regarding Egypt’s wheat stocks, he added.
