DUBAI/CAIRO - Egypt's strategic rice reserves are enough to last until the end of April, Supply Minister Ali Moselhi said in a statement on Thursday.

The minister has agreed to double the quantities of rice the government purchases from local suppliers and offer them 6,100 Egyptian pounds ($345) per tonne, the statement said.

($1 = 17.6700 Egyptian pounds)

(Reporting by Maha El Dahan, John Davison, Eric Knecht; Editing by Mark Potter) ((mailto:John.Davison@thomsonreuters.com;))