“A program is prepared to import wheat in order to meet citizens needs” said the Vice President of the supply commodities authority, Noman Nasr Noman. “The authority refused to import wheat from Russia because it is last year's crop and doesn't meet the standard specifications that maintains the quality of subsidized bread.” “Russian wheat may be imported later through global publicized tenders if it is current harvest wheat,” he added. Noman refused wheat from Ukraine as well since it would cause domestic subsidized bread degradation. Ukrainian wheat is poorer quality than Egyptian, American or French wheat. “It won't be permitted to import poor quality wheat which could affect domestic bread quality,” Noman said. Egyptian farmers provide wheat to the government after raising the price of wheat to 350 EGP (U.S $59) per ardebb (an Islamic measurement unit) instead of 270 EGP (U.S. $45) per ardebb. “Committees will be formed to check for wheat quality and seize any impropriate quality of wheat,” Noman said. “Egyptian farmers provided the government with 2.5 million tons of wheat. While last year, they gave the government 2.2 millions tons of wheat.” No'man claims the farmers sell their wheat crops to the government and the Egyptian government is supporting the farmers now. They raised the piece of local wheat higher than the prices of the imported one. A ton of American wheat costs U.S. $342 while the a ton of Egyptian wheat costs U.S. $400, according to global prices. The government aims to provide wheat whether through importing it or depending on local wheat production. Egypt imports nearly five or six million tons wheat annually in order to produce domestic bread. 750,000 tons of wheat is needed every month to provide citizens with bread.
