A source familiar with the port of Safaga revealed that the Russian wheat shipment – which was rejected about a month ago – is "good," and does not differ in quality of previously imported shipments, referring to the rejection of the shipment as a "game of interests." The source told Al-Masry Al-Youm: "What has been said about the Russian wheat shipment being corrupt and unfit for human consumption is not true, because its quality although mediocre, it is no different from the quality of previously imported shipments currently in Egypt. The same applies to questions regarding the insects, especially as the majority of imported wheat contains insects; something which is taken into consideration during barn storage."
The source added: "Imported wheat from Icelandic countries such as Russia and the Ukraine, often come to us in mediocre quality, because it is steeped in water and harvested in an icy atmosphere, making it difficult to analyze. Therefore the chances of the presence of insects within the crop are large.
"This is a well-known fact and we are dealing with it," noting that the decline in prices in these countries (Russia and the Ukraine) as opposed to other countries that have high-quality wheat, is the main motive behind the importation of Russian wheat. The source continued: "When the wheat enters the port a sample is taken for laboratory analysis to see if it conforms to health standards. After making sure of its quality it is allowed entry into the country where barns receive them." The source attributed the rejection of the Russian wheat shipment to what he called "the game of interests" between businessmen. Al-Masry Al-Youm received official documents confirming that the quantities of wheat imported from Russia have been analyzed in the laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture, where dead insect species that are not found in Egypt have been discovered. In addition to this the presence of poisonous and pernicious weeds higher than allowed, which is up to 57 seeds per kilogram of grass, have also been found.
