Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Khaled Hanafy said the Armed Forces have developed 105 primitive barns into modern granaries, in order to store the new domestic wheat crop in April.
He said the government is buying wheat from farmers for LE420 per ardeb this year, adding that it will be examined and disinfected so as to increase the quality of subsidized bread.
Acording to the minister, farmers are expected to deliver 3.6 million to 3.7 million tons this year, enough for the strategic reserves to last until October.
“The granaries will be linked to the international logistic grain center that we will build,” he said. “We will also open commodity exchanges in various governorates.”
Also, the river fleet will be updated to transport the wheat, as it reduces the transport cost by 50 percent.
He said many of the 43 subsidiaries of the Holding Company for Food Industries have been modernized with machinery and technology, turning them into competitive profit-making companies.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
