Egypt buys wheat

Egypt has bought 55,000 tonnes of local wheat since April 1, the start of the Egyptian wheat marketing season, at prices starting at 170 Egyptian pounds ($29.88) for an ardebb of 150 kg, an official said on Monday.
Darkish Mustafa, a senior official at the Ministry of Social Security, said prices paid to local farmers for the wheat ranged from 170 pounds to 180 pounds per Arden depending on quality.
The ministry buys the local wheat for distribution at subsidised prices, paying farmers above world prices. The government's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) also imports millions of tonnes of wheat each year to cover the gap between local production and consumption, making Egypt one of the world's largest wheat importers.