Egypt lowers 2025 wheat self-sufficiency target to 51%

Egypt has revised its wheat self-sufficiency target for the current fiscal year, setting it at 51% by June 2025, a slight increase from the previous year but lower than the initial 65% target. This strategy, announced by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in May 2024, aims to diversify agricultural exports by allocating farmland to crops other than wheat, which can then be imported to supply the population. Currently, local wheat production covers 49% of the demand, with an ambition to reach 56% by 2030. Additionally, the government targets achieving 67% self-sufficiency in corn by the same year, up from the current 46%. This move is part of Egypt's efforts to mitigate the impact of a severe hard currency shortage, which has been alleviated by significant international financial support.

Egypt has lowered its wheat self-sufficiency target for the current fiscal year, even as it plans to increase its farmed area, a cabinet report showed on Wednesday, in line with plans to diversify agricultural exports. The target of 51% self-sufficiency for one of the world’s largest wheat importers for the fiscal year that ends in June 2025 is a slight increase on the previous year, but lower than the previously announced 65% target for 2025. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in May 2024 that Egypt did not need to grow more wheat, but could instead use the farmland to grow other exportable crops then spend the revenue to import wheat. The Egyptian government buys wheat internationally and locally in order to offer tens of millions of Egyptians subsidized bread. Local wheat production currently meets 49% of demand, according to the cabinet report, up from 45% in 2020. Egypt’s economy has been suffering from a hard currency shortage that only eased when the United Arab ...