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Despite Egypt's wheat self-sufficiency plan, imports increase

Egypt is importing unprecedented quantities of wheat, despite a recent expansion in cultivated lands and wheat cultivation, raising doubts about the feasibility of the government's plans to achieve wheat self-sufficiency.
An Egyptian farmer holds a handful of freshly harvested wheat grains during the launch of the Government's local wheat harvest at a field in Beni Suef, south of Cairo, Egypt April 24, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC1375790070
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CAIRO — The spokesman of Egypt's Ministry of Supply, Mamdouh Ramadan, in an attempt to reassure citizens, told Reuters Aug. 22, “Egypt’s wheat reserves are sufficient to cover the country’s needs until the end of February 2018.”

On the same day, Mohammed Suwaid, the media adviser of the Ministry of Supply, said during a talk show on satellite channel ONTVLive, “The reserves are safe and exceed the global limit.”

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