Egypt lowers wheat self-sufficiency target to 51% by 2025

Egypt has revised its wheat self-sufficiency target for the current fiscal year, setting it at 51%, a slight increase from the previous year but lower than the initial 65% target for 2025. This strategy is part of an effort to diversify its agricultural exports by allocating farmland to grow other export crops while importing wheat. Currently, local wheat production covers 49% of the country's demand, up from 45% in 2020. By 2030, the government aims to produce enough local wheat to satisfy 56% of the demand and achieve self-sufficiency in corn, increasing from the current 46% to 67%.

Egypt has lowered its wheat self-sufficiency target for the current fiscal year despite plans to increase agricultural land area, a cabinet report said on Wednesday, in line with plans to diversify agricultural exports. The 51% self-sufficiency target for one of the world's largest wheat importers for the fiscal year ending June 2025 is slightly higher than the previous year but lower than the previously announced 65% target for 2025. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said in May 2024 that Egypt does not need to grow more wheat, but instead can use farmland to grow other export crops, and then use the resulting funds to import wheat, oilworld.ru reported, citing Reuters. The Egyptian government purchases wheat internationally and locally to offer subsidized bread to tens of millions of Egyptians. Local wheat production now meets 49% of demand, up from 45% in 2020, according to a cabinet report. Egypt's economy has been plagued by a shortage of hard currency, which only eased ...