Egypt's wheat imports fell to 12.685 million tonnes during the financial year 2019/2020 from 13.3 million tonnes the year before, marking a a decline of 615,000 tonnes, according to a report by the US' Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS). However, Egypt's wheat, flour and products imports saw an increase to reach 13 million tonnes by August of the current 2020/2021 marketing year – which runs from July to June – up from 12.685 million tonnes in the 2019/2020, according to the report. Egypt is currently biggest wheat importer globally, according to the FAS' Grain: World Markets and Trade report for September. FAS said Egypt's wheat production increased slightly by August of 2020/2021 to reach 8.9 million tonnes, up from 8.77 million tonnes in 2019/2020. Egypt's wheat consumption increased to 20.8 million tonnes by August of 2020/2021, up from 20.3 million tonnes in 2019/2020. In North Africa as a region, which includes Egypt, wheat imports increased to 29.6 million tonnes by August 2020/2021, up from 27.863 million tonnes in 2019/2020. In the Middle East, imports of wheat decreased to 25.885 million tonnes by August of 2020/2021, down from 30.217 million tonnes in 2019/2020. Wheat production in North Africa meanwhile declined to 16.778 million tonnes by August of 2020/2021, down from 18.399 million tonnes in 2019/2020. Production of wheat in the Middle East rose to 45.348 million tonnes by August of 2020/2021, up from 44.482 million tonnes in 2019/2020. Egypt was the second lowest country in an FAS list of rice producers, after South Korea. Egypt's rice production stood at 4.3 million tonnes by August of 2020/2021, the same figure as in 2019/2020, while the country's consumption and residual use of rice increased to 4.5 million tonnes by August of 2020/2021, up from 4.4 million tonnes in 2019/2020.
