Overview:
Egypt is diversifying agricultural import sources across Russia, Ukraine, France, Canada, the United States, Australia and India to secure strategic commodities amid global supply disruptions. The supply ministry confirmed plans to raise wheat reserves to 6 million tonnes by the end of the decade, while poultry producers face mounting cost pressures as feed prices have risen 15 percent in four weeks.
Details:
Ahmad Kamal, assistant minister of supply and domestic trade, stated that Egypt's strategic reserve system for essential goods—including wheat, sugar, oil, rice and pasta—has strengthened the state's capacity to ensure food availability and counter global trade volatility. The reserve system is designed to respond to shocks in international commerce and supply chain disruptions.
Mohamed El-Mansi, head of Egypt's agricultural quarantine authority, confirmed that the country is no longer reliant on a limited set of suppliers for strategic imports. He noted that wars and regional tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, directly affect international trade flows and shipping costs. Egypt, as a net agricultural exporter, faces rising transport expenses that feed into product pricing and difficulty routing shipments to intended destinations.
In the poultry sector, feed costs have surged 15 percent over four weeks. Tharwat El-Zeny, deputy chairman of the poultry producers' union, warned that producers are under severe pressure after selling prices fell below production costs in recent months despite abundant supply. Higher feed and transport costs now threaten the sector's ability to maintain production levels.
Outlook:
Analysts expect tomato prices to continue climbing in coming weeks as planted areas contract and harvest volumes decline, with wholesale crate prices potentially reaching 500 pounds.
Feed cost inflation may force poultry price increases if production margins continue to erode.