The Egyptian government purchased 10,000 tonnes of locally produced wheat in the first five days of the local procurement season, Supply Minister Khaled Hanafy said. The government is targeting buying 4 mn tonnes of local wheat this season. Farmers are being paid a higher price for their produced wheat “well above global market rates,” to “encourage farmers to grow wheat but has previously led to smuggling involving the sale of cheaper imported wheat to the government falsely labelled as Egyptian.” 105 shounas and 17 wheat silos will come online this month, said Hanafy, confirming statements earlier this month by David Blumberg, CEO of Blumberg Grain Middle East and Africa. Blumberg’s storage systems will be able to save the Egyptian government approximately USD 550 mn a year in wheat savings, he had told Reuters.