Egypt Targets 5M Tonnes of Local Wheat Procurement

Egypt aims to collect around 5 million tonnes of locally grown wheat during the current harvest season, which runs from April 15 to Aug. 15, as the government steps up efforts to strengthen food security and reduce reliance on imports.

Official data released on Monday showed that Egypt has so far purchased around 2.37 million tonnes of local wheat since the start of the procurement season less than a month ago.

The volume collected was up 17% from the same period in 2025 and 6% higher than 2024 levels.

Egypt had procured about 2.01 million tonnes by the same date in 2025, compared with 2.22 million tonnes in 2024, according to the data.

The government purchases local wheat at elevated prices to encourage domestic supply and secure sufficient stocks for the country’s subsidised bread programme.

More than 69 million people in Egypt benefit from subsidised bread, making wheat procurement a central component of the government’s food security policy.

Egypt, one of the world’s largest wheat importers, has also said it may replace its in-kind subsidy system with cash transfers starting from July as part of broader economic reform measures.

Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk said Egypt aims to gradually raise wheat self-sufficiency to around 70% by 2030 through expanding cultivated land, improving productivity, developing seed systems and agricultural extension services, and increasing the use of modern mechanisation.

Earlier, Farouk said Egypt aims to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat used for the subsidised bread programme by 2028.