January 24, 2005

 

 

Egypt 2004-05 wheat purchases total 4.874 million MT

 

Egypt's total wheat purchases for marketing year 2004/05, starting July 2004 through the end of December 2004, are estimated at 4,874,059 metric tons, according to an agricultural attache report posted Friday on the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service Web site.

 

Egypt's total wheat purchases for marketing year 2004/05, starting July 2004 through the end of December, 2004 are estimated at 4,874,059 MT. U.S. market share during this period is estimated at 27.85 percent or 1,357,460 MT.

 

Private sector wheat imports are based on local industry estimates. Egypt's total wheat imports by country of origin are as follows:

 

Origin        Quantity (000 MT)

US               1,357,460

France            883,500

Russia         1,202,300

Australia        220,000

Argentina       715,000

Syria               40,700

Canada           15,000

Others           440,099

Total           4,874,059

 

During the month of December 2004, GASC purchased 60,000 MT of American SRW wheat at a reported price of $138.25 and 120,000 MT of wheat from France at a reported price $144.14 per MT (FOB) for delivery during the last quarter of January 2005.

 

According to wheat traders, private sector importers continue to import more from Russia and Ukraine as a result of their lower prices. It is reported that during the months of November and December, the private sector imported 145,000 MT and 318,800 MT of Russian wheat at reported prices $162 and $159 per MT C&F, respectively. In addition, the private sector imported 26,400 MT from Ukraine at a reported price of $158 per MT C&F in November. They also imported 53,834 MT in December from Ukraine at a reported price of $155 per MT C&F.