Egypt state buyer makes rare Kazakhstan wheat purchase

Egypt’s state grains buyer has purchased wheat from Kazakhstan for the first time in at least 15 years, according to one person familiar with the matter and port data, marking a rare shift in sourcing as the country seeks to diversify its imports. Future of Egypt bought two cargoes of Kazakh wheat — one of around 11,000 metric tons and another of around 21,000 tons — which arrived at Egyptian ports around mid-September, port data showed. A Future of Egypt official visited Kazakhstan earlier this month as it seeks to develop the trading relationship. Kazakh wheat exports to Egypt have been rare, with no known state purchases since at least 2010, the source said. Landlocked Kazakhstan, which ships grain predominantely via Russia’s Black Sea ports, is increasingly seen as a strategic alternative amid global supply disruptions. In September 2023, previous state buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), was in talks with Emirati entities to secure funding for Kazakh ...