EGYPT faced a critical problem in 2010 when Russia suffered its worst drought in 130 years and decided to ban grain exports from August to the end of December. Moreover, wildfires and extreme heat scorched grain crops in many other wheat-producing countries, such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan. A bad harvest cut international wheat production by as much as 27 per cent in 2010/ 2011, pushing wheat prices up to a two-year high. The announcement of the Russian grain ban forced wheat prices up by more than 50 per cent. In August, wheat prices rose from LE1,500 to LE3,400 per tonne. Soaring prices were bad news for Egypt since it is the world's biggest wheat importer and one of Russia's main clients. Just in 2009, for instance, Egypt got 59 per cent of its total wheat imports. Egypt was scheduled to receive 540,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia in September. However, the government announced at that time that Egypt would not be negatively affected by the Russian decision, since it applies a policy of diversification that helped to avert a shortage. Egypt imports wheat from France, Australia, Russia and Ukraine. Still, higher wheat prices placed an additional financial burden on the country's budget for fiscal year 2010/2011 between LE2.5 billion to LE4 billion. The wheat shortage turned Egypt to its southern neighbour Sudan for use of agricultural lands to meet domestic food supply needs. Egypt revived a 30-year-old agreement with Sudan that encourages private companies to plant wheat in northern Sudan. Egypt's annual wheat consumption stands at 14 million tonnes, half of which is imported.