April 13, 2022

 

Egypt considers importing wheat from India

 

 

The Supply Ministry of Egypt is considering to add wheat from India to 16 other countries accepted by the state grains buyer, to supplement grain imports which have been disrupted by Russia's invasion into Ukraine, Reuters reported.

 

Egypt's Agriculture Ministry has sent delegates to India to discuss phytosanitary measures and examining grains before approving imports of Indian wheat.

 

Egypt, the biggest wheat importer in the world, purchases the grain through tenders decided by the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), the state grains buyer.

 

Countries accredited for wheat imports into Egypt include Ukraine, Russia, Germany, France, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and the US.

 

GASC usually imports from the Black Sea region because of its nearby location, quality and competitive prices, but shipments from the area have been disrupted by Russia's invasion into Ukraine. Russian wheat shipments to Egypt continued in March.

 

A US wheat bid was offered to Egypt in its last tender but it was not purchased. 

 

The Supply Ministry said Indian wheat imports will hinge on suppliers offering competitive bids in GASC's tenders plus quantities offered.

 

India seeks to enter the wheat export market after a gap was left due to the Ukraine conflict. India has been hampered by logistical issues and quality concerns to export its grains globally despite oversupply of wheat stocks.

 

Egypt has been discussing with Argentina, France, and the US about diversifying its purchases.

 

The Egyptian government has been looking into issuing limited origin tenders or direct purchases outside the tender framework to purchase wheat, according to several traders.

 

-      Reuters