Cereal in EGYPT

1. MERC Project Monitoring of Cereal Virus and Viral Like Diseases for Prevention through Regional Detection and Quarantine System No. M27- 063 Cereal in EGYPT Cutting and transporting wheat. Tomb of Menna, Sakkara

2. Wheat situation in Egypt

3. Egypt, the largest producer in the subregion, where most of the wheat is irrigated, wheat production is estimated at 8.6 million tonnes, which is close to last year’s good crop. A recent study on the food and energy crisis in Egypt said that the country is at the top of countries worldwide that import wheat, as it imports about 60 percent of its needs, or more than 6 million tons per year, worth more than 17 billion Egyptian pounds ($3 billion) and that the Egyptian individual consumes about 180 kilograms of wheat annually, at a time where per capita consumption does not exceed 90 kg in the rest of the world.

4. InEgypt, where provision of subsidized bread is crucial to Government food policy and the food security of the poor, over two-thirds of wheat imports in recent years had been coming from Russia, but in view of the reduced supply from this country this year, alternative sources are being used. The increase in world prices of wheat will add substantially to the cost of Egyptian wheat imports in 2010/11 and to the expenditure for the Government’s bread subsidy program. For consumers, while for bread the high cost of imported wheat will not be felt in view of the country’s safety net program, there will be increases in the non-subsidized wheat flour price which has already caused prices of wheat products such as pasta, biscuits and cookies to go up. The sudden rise in international wheat prices occurred against a background of increases also in other domestic food prices, notably of rice, meat and vegetables. The year-on-year rate of inflation in the food sector increased from 18 percent in July to 22 percent in September2010. The recent jump in domestic rice prices was driven by a lower supply following the Government efforts to reduce area planted to rice in order to reduce water use.

5. Wheat situation in Egypt

6. Import Quantity (tonnes) Import Value (1000 $)

7. Egypt has spent $4 billion a year, or 1.8 percent of GDP, on its bread subsidization program in an attempt to insulate the 40 percent of Egyptians living on less than $2 a day from inflation. But prices continue to rise. As the world’s largest importer of wheat, Egypt is acutely vulnerable to any surge in food prices. Wheat prices have risen 47 percent over the last year and other staples are rapidly approaching dangerously high levels.

8. Challenges Facing Wheat production Rapidly growing population ( ≈ 1.3 m annually (~ 2.4% yearly)). 2.Limited water resources. 3.Limited arable land. 4.Large gap in food and feed between production and consumption

9. What can be done? Improving the yield potential through, redesigning plant architecture & genetic manipulations , including use of biotechnology. Identifying & Utilizing new sources of resistance to biotic & Abiotic stresses. Reduce the cost of production through crop production and protection technologies to make wheat more competitive in global market. Improving grain quality for domestic Decreasing the existing yield gaps throughtimely supply of improved quality seed and other inputs to farmers. 6. Increasing planted area : newly reclaimed lands

10. Rice situation in Egypt

11. Rice in Egypt usually cultivated at the summer season. The sowing dates usually from the last ten days of April up to the first twenty days of May. Egypt is the largest rice producer in the Near East region, cultivating rice on about 600.000 ha, mainly in the Nile delta region. Yields are among the highest in the world Egypt a major rice exporter. Hence, in Egypt in the year 2004 over 800.00 tones of rice

12. Rice situation in Egypt Export Quantity (million tonnes)

13. Maize situation in Egypt

14. Egypt's Production, Imports and Total Consumption of corn (Maize)(thousand metric tons and fiscal years)

15. Maize Thank you