Egypt has topped the wheat importers’ list from Russia in its agricultural season 2013/14 that ended last June, state’s news agency MENA reported.

MENA cited the Russian Agriculture Ministry when it stated that Egypt’s imports recorded 19 percent of the total of Russia’s wheat exports that amounted to 18.3 million tonnes.

Turkey comes in the second following the most populous Arab country, importing 18 percent of the total Russian wheat exports.

Egyptians consume a total of between 15 and 20 million tonnes of wheat per year, of which 10 million tons are produced locally, with the rest coming from imports.

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) pledged last October to build a total of 25 wheat silos with a storage capacity of 1.5 million tonnes to help prevent the loss of billions of dollars’ worth of wheat per year.

Egypt’s current silo storage capacity is 1.5 million tonnes but the UAE’s pledge will reportedly bring storage capacity to 3 million tonnes.

Source: Ahram Online