Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade Bassem Ouda said Friday Egypt's wheat harvest had witnessed an increase in production estimated at 13 percent comparing to the same period of last year.
Total crops received from farmers totalled 3.508 million tonnes according to the latest government figures, signalling a 13-percent increase of around 408,000 tonnes compared to figures from the same period last year, ministry spokesperson Nasser al-Farash said.
Farash added in a statement that Sharqiya governorate had ranked first in local wheat output.
Ouda addressed the Finance Ministry ahead of a planned transfer of LE2 billion for dues for wheat-supplying farmers bound for the General Authority for Supply Commodities, Farash added.
The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade aims to produce 5.4 million tonnes of wheat this harvest. The ministry has already paid farmers LE9 billion of a total LE11 billion in dues for the season.
Egypt, the largest importer of wheat in the world, aims to produce more of the crop this year so as to reduce imports, as the Egyptian pound continues to struggle against foreign currencies.
Edited translation from MENA
