Egypt increases new-crop wheat procurement by nearly 20%

Egypt purchased 4.72 mln tons of wheat from local farmers from the 2026 harvest, nearly 20% more than a year earlier, when government procurement totaled just under 4 mln tons. The harvest and procurement campaign ran from mid-April to mid-August.

Under the standard accounting methodology, purchases remained below the government’s 5 mln ton target. However, Egypt’s Supply Ministry said that after including durum wheat purchased by pasta producers and wheat retained as seed for the 2027 planting season, total procurement exceeded 5 mln tons.

Higher domestic supply was supported by a strong harvest. Egypt’s wheat production in 2026 is estimated at 10.2 mln tons, up 7%, while the planted area reached around 1.58 mln ha. The government has encouraged production through higher procurement prices, wider use of improved seeds and expansion of wheat cultivation on reclaimed desert land.

Increasing domestic production is strategically important for Egypt, which remains one of the world’s largest wheat importers and purchases around 10 mln tons from overseas annually. A significant share of wheat is used for the government’s subsidized bread programme, which serves around 70 million people.

Egypt plans to further reduce the subsidized bread programme’s dependence on imported wheat. The Agriculture Ministry aims to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat for the programme by 2028, although the country’s overall domestic demand will continue to require substantial imports.

Tags: Egypt, wheat