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CAIRO, May 18 (Reuters) - Egypt has procured two million tonnes of wheat from local farmers since its harvest began in mid-April, the Minister of Supply Ali Moselhy said on Thursday.
Egypt consumes 9.5 million tonnes of wheat to make its subsidised bread, 4 million tonnes from the local harvest and 5.5 million tonnes from imported wheat, Moselhy said, adding that the rate of local wheat procurement is 120,000 tonnes per day.
"The import plan has to continue throughout the year and should not halt just because we are procuring local wheat. We continue to import," Moselhy said.
Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), said on Wednesday it had bought 295,000 tonnes of wheat in a tender.
(Writing by Asma Alsharif; editing by Jason Neely) ((asma.alsharif@thomsonreuters.com; +20225783290; Reuters Messaging: asma.alsharif.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Egypt consumes 9.5 million tonnes of wheat to make its subsidised bread, 4 million tonnes from the local harvest and 5.5 million tonnes from imported wheat, Moselhy said, adding that the rate of local wheat procurement is 120,000 tonnes per day.
"The import plan has to continue throughout the year and should not halt just because we are procuring local wheat. We continue to import," Moselhy said.
Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), said on Wednesday it had bought 295,000 tonnes of wheat in a tender.
(Writing by Asma Alsharif; editing by Jason Neely) ((asma.alsharif@thomsonreuters.com; +20225783290; Reuters Messaging: asma.alsharif.reuters.com@reuters.net))
