A step toward fixing our broken wheat policy? The Agriculture Ministry has formed a committee to amend agriculture quarantine regulations, Central Administration of the Agricultural Quarantine Authority sources tell Al Borsa. Members of the committee include the head of the authority, officials from the ministry, and representatives from various other relevant bodies. The committee is mandated to come up with a single playbook for agricultural imports and exports. While the move is being touted as a response to several countries imposing bans on Egyptian produce — the most recent being Saudi Arabia banning Egyptian guava imports — the move could open the door to reforming wheat policy. The Agriculture Quarantine Authority had been the problem child behind the confusion over the zero-tolerance rule on ergot. Inspectors from the authority are also said by commodities trader to have been over the flap last year about poppy seeds in wheat.

Wheat market still skittish on Egypt: The General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) purchased yesterday 115k tonnes of Russian wheat, to be delivered between 11 and 20 February, Reuters’ Arabic service reports. GASC, the world’s largest wheat buyer, had received seven offers in the tender after suppliers initially refused to bid, according to the newswire. “Traders had said earlier that they were hesitant to present offers amid disagreements about demurrage payments, which are fees charged to suppliers for vessels sitting at ports past the contracted period.” According to suppliers, Egypt’s “lengthy and erratic inspection procedures” have driven up demurrage fees over the past few months as several cargo ships were held at Egypt’s ports. GASC officials sat down with traders to discuss ways to resolve these issues, after which the traders presented their offers. Yesterday’s purchase makes Egypt’s strategic wheat reserves sufficient to last until May, the Supply Ministry announced, according to Reuters.