According to the Port authority, Wadi El-Karnak ship arrived from France with a wheat shipment for the Ministry of Supply and Internal trade’s General Company for Silos and Storage.

The authority inspected the shipment and took random samples to make sure it was free from pests and insects, in addition to ensuring that it abides by international standards.

This is the latest shipment of wheat Egypt received so far.

Egypt, the world biggest wheat importer, was greatly impacted in wheat supply when Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

Last year, Egypt received 80 percent of its wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine due to its high quality, competitive pricing, and geographical proximity.

Egypt imports 12 to 13 million tonnes of wheat per year, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity in 2020 – an online data visualisation platform that focuses on the geography and dynamics of economic activities across the globe.

The government has announced diversification of import sources from different countries including India, which has exempted Egypt from its recent wheat export ban.

During the first week of May, Egypt signed a deal agreeing to import 61,500 tonnes of Indian wheat.

Egypt is expected to produce around 6 million tonnes of wheat during the local supply season, which is around 2.5 million more than in 2021.

The country has requested in late May $500 million from the World Bank to buy wheat through the Emergency Food Security and Resilience Support Project, according to a document released by the World Bank.

According to the Egyptian Cabinet, Egypt has a strategic wheat reserve for domestic consumption sufficient till the end of 2022.