![Egypt has 44 silos with a total capacity of 3. 1 million tonnes, across its governorates](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IWZGHJT5MSIOXOFGTX3M6ZCQXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=56cf213aa29ea7d6a179c2b8a3b95dd5230837fc2f19e7ffea81906321332f0a&width=400&height=225)
![An man works in a wheat field in Banha, Egypt. All photos: EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YTU34CHXC5RLBUIHCK3JYSDQEE.jpg?smart=true&auth=0981968d62d0e0935d33b622aa9a6efac4e5ba9c96611541bac9fe9d4f596868&width=400&height=225)
![Egypt, the largest importer of wheat in the world, has been forced by the war in Ukraine to rethink its strategy and says it will now rely more on local production of the cereal as a way to reduce its reliance on international purchases in the coming years.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NPRI4FID2ND22XOEAAOJHSZWME.jpg?smart=true&auth=3b5c808afac17801ad3b56b5fadd96679fe48a82f2b0e097547e6981873b892e&width=400&height=225)
![A man holds grains of wheat at the Banha grain silos, in Qalyubia Governorate.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UUKWRJPI6I5QZY7YDQONSWFUQA.jpg?smart=true&auth=6e101a5b7235cb4c67222ac0f5491abd43830206de1449e55cdb1fd5b771f017&width=400&height=225)
![Bread is a staple for most of Egypt's 103 million people.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FVJI6URS4PRUHPAEVWRHHQTZG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=d742ba6ad7e15582cffaa1deefc956c01ea5a1e5a3d41e50b3fbd567161acea9&width=400&height=225)
![Workers unload wheat at the Banha grain silos.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/R6TDVEU2CCWS4T27NTZBT2PDIQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=2d52f467f18a8e708648dfd9d30643e9adf7b56f10cfdda49fae3b7228b22970&width=400&height=225)
![Local growers have been barred from selling wheat to anyone other than the government until August.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CI6E4MR7R26KZA22LTVW7XPMRQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=b2c9673b3f7486fcc3b38caec2ffc20b545962003cfbadb2117774f2f59dfb6d&width=400&height=225)
![Previously, growers who failed to deliver 60 per cent of their wheat harvest to authorities faced penalties.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CEFBMWH5YMC7MR7EMVRAAB43AE.jpg?smart=true&auth=53d3dd0d7be2fcf9f4707f16525f859569779ed98087c065960ad51b2f03f817&width=400&height=225)
![Workers collect wheat at the Banha silos.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HWU7FWVMUIHCE6PBPZ7G5VS7SE.jpg?smart=true&auth=8691530bdcaa84d1dc5259a774a83aebac44efa4fcfbb4a504e28803ec897aa6&width=400&height=225)
![About 71 million people in the country rely on cheap bread under a state subsidised food card system.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PJEGWTYDXSGQEFXXLHNJGWYB4A.jpg?smart=true&auth=e69807e5416ff3048e10113e95254d565ed67f8f0d3e0b4c90898caa927fec2a&width=400&height=225)
![Egypt has 44 silos with a total capacity of 3. 1 million tonnes, across its governorates](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IWZGHJT5MSIOXOFGTX3M6ZCQXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=56cf213aa29ea7d6a179c2b8a3b95dd5230837fc2f19e7ffea81906321332f0a&width=400&height=225)
![An man works in a wheat field in Banha, Egypt. All photos: EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YTU34CHXC5RLBUIHCK3JYSDQEE.jpg?smart=true&auth=0981968d62d0e0935d33b622aa9a6efac4e5ba9c96611541bac9fe9d4f596868&width=400&height=225)
![Egypt, the largest importer of wheat in the world, has been forced by the war in Ukraine to rethink its strategy and says it will now rely more on local production of the cereal as a way to reduce its reliance on international purchases in the coming years.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NPRI4FID2ND22XOEAAOJHSZWME.jpg?smart=true&auth=3b5c808afac17801ad3b56b5fadd96679fe48a82f2b0e097547e6981873b892e&width=400&height=225)
![A man holds grains of wheat at the Banha grain silos, in Qalyubia Governorate.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UUKWRJPI6I5QZY7YDQONSWFUQA.jpg?smart=true&auth=6e101a5b7235cb4c67222ac0f5491abd43830206de1449e55cdb1fd5b771f017&width=400&height=225)
![Bread is a staple for most of Egypt's 103 million people.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FVJI6URS4PRUHPAEVWRHHQTZG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=d742ba6ad7e15582cffaa1deefc956c01ea5a1e5a3d41e50b3fbd567161acea9&width=400&height=225)
![Workers unload wheat at the Banha grain silos.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/R6TDVEU2CCWS4T27NTZBT2PDIQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=2d52f467f18a8e708648dfd9d30643e9adf7b56f10cfdda49fae3b7228b22970&width=400&height=225)
![Local growers have been barred from selling wheat to anyone other than the government until August.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CI6E4MR7R26KZA22LTVW7XPMRQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=b2c9673b3f7486fcc3b38caec2ffc20b545962003cfbadb2117774f2f59dfb6d&width=400&height=225)
![Previously, growers who failed to deliver 60 per cent of their wheat harvest to authorities faced penalties.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CEFBMWH5YMC7MR7EMVRAAB43AE.jpg?smart=true&auth=53d3dd0d7be2fcf9f4707f16525f859569779ed98087c065960ad51b2f03f817&width=400&height=225)
![Workers collect wheat at the Banha silos.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HWU7FWVMUIHCE6PBPZ7G5VS7SE.jpg?smart=true&auth=8691530bdcaa84d1dc5259a774a83aebac44efa4fcfbb4a504e28803ec897aa6&width=400&height=225)
![About 71 million people in the country rely on cheap bread under a state subsidised food card system.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PJEGWTYDXSGQEFXXLHNJGWYB4A.jpg?smart=true&auth=e69807e5416ff3048e10113e95254d565ed67f8f0d3e0b4c90898caa927fec2a&width=400&height=225)
![Egypt has 44 silos with a total capacity of 3. 1 million tonnes, across its governorates](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IWZGHJT5MSIOXOFGTX3M6ZCQXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=56cf213aa29ea7d6a179c2b8a3b95dd5230837fc2f19e7ffea81906321332f0a&width=400&height=225)
As Ukraine war rages, Egypt races to secure wheat imports amid global food crisis
North African nation is world's largest wheat importer but main suppliers Russia and Ukraine can barely export
![Amr Mostafa](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fde385cf4-aaea-4740-9fd3-a0528fc1959c.png?smart=true&auth=d2cca4015822d91a4a4455945111e58efac10a2270c222d8fdc87dfd62e00463&width=70&height=70)
Amr Mostafa
June 29, 2022
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