Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting Monday to review the country's wheat procurement strategy. The meeting, attended by key ministers and agency heads, focused on ensuring sufficient wheat supplies to meet the needs of Egypt's growing population. Attendees included Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Mostafa El-Sayyad, and Executive Director of the Egyptian Agency for Sustainable Development (Masr El-Mostakbal) Bahaa El-Ghannam, along with representatives from several relevant ministries and agencies. Madbouly emphasized the government's commitment to maintaining strategic reserves of essential commodities, particularly wheat, in line with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives. He noted the ongoing monitoring of efforts to secure the country's wheat requirements at optimal prices through a highly efficient system. Minister Farouk highlighted the Ministry of Supply's collaboration with other entities to secure wheat and build strategic reserves. Minister Kouchouk confirmed the Ministry of Finance's continued commitment to providing necessary funding for wheat procurement according to agreed-upon schedules. El-Ghannam reviewed the Egyptian Agency for Sustainable Development's efforts to secure wheat, noting ongoing coordination with the Ministry of Supply and highlighting the agency's focus on diversifying wheat sources and expanding agricultural land to increase domestic production. As Africa's largest wheat producer and consumer, Egypt has implemented an ambitious national wheat market expansion plan in recent years. This plan aims to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production and reduce its import bill, which increased to $3.8bn between 2017 and 2021. The Egyptian government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and the private sector have invested in wheat research and development, and improved access to financing for farmers to boost production and marketing capabilities. With a population of 106 million, Egypt's wheat consumption is projected to reach 20.65 million tonnes in the short term, increasing to an estimated 124 million by 2030. Egypt currently relies on wheat imports to address an annual deficit of over 10 million tonnes, making it the world's largest wheat importer in 2021 (8.3% of global imports). However, the government is prioritising domestic production increases, improved procurement terms for farmers, expanded storage capacity, and modern irrigation systems in both reclaimed and existing wheat-growing regions. Egypt aims to reduce post-harvest losses (estimated at 21%, or 4.4 million tonnes) by focusing on efficiency in crop growth, marketing, and storage. The country has increased wheat acreage and enhanced yields through modern irrigation systems, including Mechanized Raised-Bed Irrigation (MRBI) technology. According to the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), MRBI "is adapted to dryland conditions and improves water use efficiency, improving farmers' livelihoods through increased farm productivity with fewer inputs." The African Development Bank (AfDB) reports that Egypt aims to boost production to 11.5 million tonnes by 2025 using this technology.
