Egypt buys 2.5mln tons of wheat from local farmers this season
Procurement this season, which officially began in mid-April, has inched up compared to 2024.
According to official documents seen by Reuters, the government has so far bought 2.55 million tons, up from 2.53 million tons in the same period last year, signaling an improvement in the harvest that was underperforming in the first few weeks.
Despite a decrease in wheat-cultivated areas this season, the government expects to buy 4 million to 5 million tons of wheat from local farmers, having raised the procurement price by 10%, leaving it to import about 6 million tons to provide heavily subsidised bread for more than 69 million Egyptians.
The government typically purchases 3.5 million tons from local farmers.
Egypt's strategic reserve of the grain is estimated to last for 4-1/2 months, while vegetable oils were sufficient for 3.7 months as of May 7, the supply minister Sherif Farouk had said.
(Reporting by Momen Saeed Atallah and Mohamed Ezz; Writing by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Louise Heavens)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
ADAFSA releases Abu Dhabi Date Varieties Guide
Abu Dhabi: In conjunction with the launch of the 21st Liwa Date Festival 2025, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) released the Abu Dhabi Date Varieties Guide, a comprehensive reference for the most prominent date varieties in the emirate. ADAFSA's pavilion at the festival will witness promoting the guide to help farmers, visitors, and stakeholders know more about the palm farming and date production. Featuring 61 date varieties classified by their environmental and geographical traits, the guide clarifies varieties suitable for arid regions and others adapted to high-humidity coastal areas. The guide further provides in-depth details on ripening times, production rates, unique traits for each variety, and recommendations to improve quality and productivity. The guide highlights several prominent date varieties, including "Fard," widely grown in Abu Dhabi, particularly in Al Ain region. It is a commercial variety consumed both as fully ripe (Rutab), and dry (Tamer). Another variety is "Dabbas," a commercially significant variety thrives in arid environments such as the Al Dhafra region. Furthermore, the guide introduces "Naghal" dates, an early-maturing variety of high economic value, primarily consumed as fully ripe (Rutab). In this regard, ADAFSA emphasized that releasing this guide aligns with its strategy to promote sustainable agriculture and provide farmers with accurate information for selecting environmentally appropriate varieties. Moreover, the guide will contribute to preserving the diversity of local varieties while enhancing the economic value of the emirate's date palm sector. According to ADAFSA, the guide serves as a technical reference for farmers and professionals to improve agricultural productivity and food security through cultivation of high-quality local cultivars. The Authority emphasized that publishing such guides reinforces its efforts to promote Abu Dhabi's position as a leading hub for sustainable agriculture, aligning with Abu Dhabi's vision for comprehensive and sustainable development. The guide is available to the public on ADAFSA's website. It will also be distributed to farmers as part of ADAFSA's awareness programs and initiatives, to ensure its information is accessible to all target groups, with a focus on visitors of the Liwa Date Festival 2025.
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
Wheat recoups some losses, but ample supply caps gains
CANBERRA/PARIS - Chicago wheat futures on Thursday clawed back some of their losses from a day before, although expectations of plentiful global supply limited the recovery and held prices near recent lows. Corn futures rose slightly, but forecasts for crop-friendly rain in U.S. grain belts capped the gains. Soybeans increased amid news that China will reduce hog production and look for alternatives to soybean meal in feed rations. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was up 0.2% at $5.41-3/4 a bushel at 1117 GMT, after falling 1.6% on Wednesday. Prices had slipped to a five-year low of $5.06-1/4 in May. CBOT soybeans were up 0.4% at $10.27 a bushel and corn rose 0.5% to $4.19-1/2 a bushel. U.S. wheat is now cheaper than wheat from Europe or top exporter Russia, said Ole Houe, director of advisory services at IKON Commodities in Sydney. "U.S. wheat is ultra-competitive," he said. "The U.S. is finding plenty of demand that should have got to Russia... every time you get down to the sort of levels where we are today, you tend to jump back up again two days later." That said, Russian prices are likely to fall in the coming weeks as the country's new harvest - which is expected to be large by historical standards - flows into the market, he said. Separately, a senior official said India, the world's second-biggest producer of wheat, was not immediately planning to sell wheat from government reserves as supplies are comfortable and prices stable. Meanwhile, updates from a crop tour of North Dakota's hard red spring wheat fields underlined expectations of a good harvest, with per-acre yields falling from last year's records but remaining above average. The market will be watching for revisions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's estimates when it releases its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report on August 12. Traders also hope that President Donald Trump will get foreign buyers to purchase more U.S. farm goods. Negotiations over a U.S.-European Union deal are ongoing and U.S.-China talks are scheduled for next week. Prices at 1117 GMT Last Change Pct Move CBOT wheat 541.75 1.25 0.23 CBOT corn 419.50 2.00 0.48 CBOT soy 1027.00 4.25 0.42 Paris wheat 199.00 -0.50 -0.25 Paris maize 56.48 0.34 0.61 Paris rapeseed 475.75 -0.75 -0.16 Euro/dlr 1.17 0.00 -0.18 Most active contracts - Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel, Paris futures in euros per tonne.
Gulf Business
4 hours ago
- Gulf Business
Uber launches Senior Accounts in MENA to support older adults' mobility
Uber has introduced a new feature across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region designed to make transportation easier and more accessible for older adults. The launch of Senior Accounts and Simple Mode aims to help older people travel independently while giving their families peace of mind. Now available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Lebanon, the feature allows family members to set up and manage rides for older relatives, even if they live in different cities or countries. Senior Accounts are part of Uber's Family Profiles and provide a streamlined version of the app with larger text, simplified navigation, and the ability for trusted family members to provide remote assistance. For users who prefer to ride on their own, Simple Mode can be activated through the app's accessibility settings, offering a user-friendly interface with fewer steps and clearer prompts. 'These features reflect the company's ongoing efforts to make the Uber app a platform that works for the entire family, from teens to seniors,' the company said. Building on the success of Teen Accounts, Uber is bridging another important gap in the mobility space. 'In the MENA region, where strong family ties and intergenerational support are a way of life, this offering will help older adults stay independent and connected, with the reassurance that loved ones are always just a tap away.' Read: The features come as mobility challenges for seniors in the region—such as limited public transport access, long distances, or extreme heat—can pose significant barriers. Senior Accounts bridge these gaps by allowing older riders to save favourite destinations, choose flexible payment options, and share trip details in real time with loved ones. Family members can also book or monitor rides remotely through the app. How it works: A family organiser creates a Family Profile and invites an older adult to join as a senior. The senior receives a text message with a link to download the app and register. Once set up, they can request rides themselves or allow a family member to manage trips on their behalf. For those not added to a Family Profile, Simple Mode remains available as an independent feature through the app's accessibility settings. Following successful launches in the US, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, Uber's rollout in the MENA region underscores its broader strategy of building inclusive technology that meets the needs of all age groups. The company developed these features in collaboration with older riders and accessibility experts to ensure the platform works for every stage of life.
