April 1, 2009
Egypt likely to allow Ukrainian wheat imports from July
Ukrainian wheat is likely to be purchased again by Egypt from the new marketing year July. 1, Ali Al-Meselhi, Minister of Social Solidarity for Egypt, told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday (March 31).
Speaking on the sidelines of the International Grain Trading conference, the minister, whose department represents state millers, said the standard of wheat being imported into Egypt, the world's largest wheat consumer, has started to improve over recent months after a year of inconsistent standards in 2008.
The minister formally asked the government to stop importing Ukrainian wheat in January after quality problems caused millers to complain to government.
"Last year was a risky year...once we set detailed specs with a more controlled process," we will look to import from Ukraine's new crop, said the minister.
