India to export wheat to Egypt following disruption of supply from Russia and Ukraine
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has announced that India will export wheat to Egypt this year. Egypt is one of the world’s biggest importers of wheat. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman M. Angamuthu said, they are aiming to export three million tonnes of wheat to Egypt this year.
Egypt imported 6.1 million tonnes of wheat in 2021 and India was not part of the list of accredited countries which could export wheat to Egypt. More than 80 per cent of Egypt’s wheat imports estimated to be close to two billion US dollars in 2021 were from Russia and Ukraine. During visit to Dubai last month, Mr Goyal had also met Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Hala El-Said and discussed India’s readiness to supply high quality wheat towards ensuring Egypt’s food security.
Officials from Agriculture Quarantine and Pest Risk Analysis of Egypt visited various processing units, port facilities and farms in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The Egyptian delegation’s visit to India follows several trade talks and meetings with the various wheat importing countries, which are exploring possibilities of sourcing grain from alternate sources as supplies have been disrupted because of the Russia and Ukraine conflict.
According to estimates by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, India has exported a record seven million tonnes of wheat in 2021-22 which is valued at 2.05 billion dollars. Out of the total shipment around 50 per cent of wheat was exported to Bangladesh in the last fiscal. Mr. Goyal said, This year India is expected to export 10 to 15 million tonnes of wheat.
