700,000 Feddans of Wheat Harvested in Egypt Since Start of April

Since the beginning of April, more than 700,000 feddans of locally-grown wheat have been harvested in Egypt.

As one of the biggest importers of wheat in the world, particularly from Ukraine and Russia, Egypt's supply of food has been affected by the Russian invasion in Ukraine. With nearly 25 million tonnes of grain blocked from leaving Ukrainian ports, the Egyptian government had to secure alternative sources of wheat to ensure its population is fed, including making deals with India and France.

In order to reduce reliance on imports, however, the Egyptian government has been incentivizing local farmers to produce more wheat. Nearly USD 60 million has been allocated by the state to buy grain from local farmers.

The state is also pursuing a strategy to increase wheat cultivation on empty land without replacing other crops, and increasing yield in existing farmland with high-quality, high-producing seeds. One such strain of wheat has been newly developed by the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, which is genetically modified to grow despite water shortages and saline lands, and is expected to help increase local production by 33%.

The government plans to cut down on wheat imports by 8% by 2023.