Egypt Targets 70% Wheat Self-Sufficiency by 2030

Egypt aims to achieve 70% self-sufficiency in wheat production by 2030 as part of a broader strategy to expand agricultural output and strengthen food security, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.

Khaled Gad, spokesperson for the ministry, said water resources that were previously discharged into the sea have been redirected toward the New Delta Project and other agricultural expansion zones to increase cultivated land nationwide.

Speaking during an interview on the Al Hayah Al Youm program hosted by Mohamed Sherdy, Gad said Egypt is moving steadily toward raising domestic production of strategic crops.

He added that the country is also targeting full self-sufficiency in sugar beet production, alongside narrowing the consumption gap in oilseed crops through expanded cultivation in the New Delta Project.

According to Gad, the newly reclaimed agricultural lands are free from major crop diseases and are already being used to grow strategic products including potatoes and strawberries.

He also stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture is prepared with crop varieties capable of withstanding higher temperatures and changing climate conditions, as Egypt adapts its agricultural strategy to the growing impact of climate change.

The comments come as Egypt intensifies efforts to reduce reliance on imported food commodities, particularly wheat, amid global supply disruptions, rising commodity prices, and broader geopolitical uncertainty affecting international trade flows.

The New Delta Project is considered one of the country’s largest agricultural expansion initiatives and forms a central pillar of the government’s long-term food security and rural development plans.