Egyptian authorities are curtailing purchases of wheat on the domestic market

government had intended to buy 4 million to 5 million tonnes of the new harvest from local farmers. The size of the new harvest is officially estimated at about 10 million tonnes. The procurement campaign, which began in mid-April, is officially scheduled to last until mid-August. However, as of Saturday, June 28, just over 3.9 million tonnes had been collected, according to a second separate official document reviewed by Reuters. In recent days, the Ministry of Supplies has begun gradually closing some wheat collection points across the country, citing low volumes from farmers, according to the first document. The centers that remain open will also be closed if they do not receive wheat for three to five consecutive days, the document said. The Ministry of Supplies did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Egypt’s own wheat production is not sufficient to meet domestic consumption. So Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, typically buys about 5 million ...