Egypt targets 10 mln ton wheat harvest amid yield gains, land reclamation push

Egypt is projecting a rise in wheat harvest to 10 million tonnes in 2025, a increase from 9 million tonnes in 2023, due to higher crop yields and significant land reclamation efforts. The government plans to purchase 4-5 million tonnes of local wheat and import about 6 million tonnes to meet the demand for subsidized bread. The agricultural sector is benefiting from new high-yield wheat strains and extensive land reclamation initiatives, despite a slight reduction in the cultivated area. However, wheat farming is facing competition from more profitable crops. The government is also considering increasing the prices of local fertilizers, which are currently sold at subsidized rates, and is set to revamp its commodities exchange to facilitate direct crop trading.

Egypt expects to harvest 10 million tonnes of wheat this year, up from 9 million in 2023, driven by improved crop yields and ambitious land reclamation efforts, Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk told Reuters late on Wednesday. He said 3.1175 million feddans (about 1.30 million hectares) have been cultivated this season — slightly lower than the 3.5 million feddans announced earlier by the planning ministry and 3.2 million feddans in 2024 (1.34 million hectares), suggesting a possible decline in total wheat area. Farmers have told Reuters that wheat has become less profitable compared to crops like beet, whose area increased from 500,000 feddans (210,000 hectares) to 700,000 feddans (294,000 hectares) this year. The government plans to buy 4-5 million tonnes of local wheat and import about 6 million tonnes to provide heavily subsidised bread for over 69 million Egyptians. Farouk said newer high-yield wheat strains developed by the Agricultural Research Center have raised ...