CAIRO, (The Southern African Times) – Egypt has purchased about 126,000 tons of wheat from Russia and Ukraine amid fears of possible shortages due to the ongoing military action in the Eastern European country.
According to Egypt’s Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, the wheat shipments, comprising about 63,000 tons from each side, are expected to arrive in the coming days.
The expected arrivals are in addition to about 63,000 tons recently received from Romania.
The latest purchases come after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met recently with the government to approve new incentives encouraging local wheat growers to increase their output during the current season.
Wheat is a staple food in North African countries, most of which purchase large quantities of grain from Russia and Ukraine.
The ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine has sparked concern that production and supply may be interrupted.
In a statement on Monday, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a quick solution to the military action in Ukraine, urging world leaders to “do everything possible to avert a hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system.”
