Cairo — Mubasher: Egypt seeks to procure 3.6 million tonnes of wheat from local farmers during the harvest season this year that starts in April, the supply minister said.
The ministry will pay farmers between EGP 655 to EGP 685 ($38-$39) per ardeb (150 kilograms) of wheat depending on quality, Reuters reported, citing Ali Moselhy, who pronounces the prices as “fair and special”.
The ministry aims to buy 3.6 million tonnes and the finance ministry has secured the funds, Moselhy told Egypt’s state TV.
Farmers had requested the Egyptian government pay EGP 800 per ardeb, the head of the farmers’ union told Reuters, adding that the current price would push farmers away from growing wheat.
“I expect the crop to fall this year due to the spread of yellow rust and climate change, which will increase the losses incurred by farmers,” Hussein Abu Saddam said.
Egypt, the world’s largest wheat buyer, procured 3.15 million tonnes of wheat during the harvest season last year at EGP 570 to EGP 600 per ardeb.
Some of the local crop was purchased by private mills, which offered higher prices than the government, as global prices increased above the government’s price during harvest time, traders said.
