The Agriculture Ministry is considering importing barley rice from countries including the US, Russia, Australia, India, Taiwan, and the Philippines, Agriculture Quarantine Authority (AQA) head Ahmed El Attar said yesterday, Al Mal reports. Their decision will be based on quality of the rice from these countries, according to El Attar, who added that the quantity to be imported will not be determined by the AQA. Supply Minister Ali El Moselhy had previously said that Egypt would probably need to import somewhere between 500-700k tonnes of next year to meet local consumption needs. This comes as the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) has reportedly contracted 38 private companies to begin supplying it with rice for a three-month period starting August, Supply Ministry sources said yesterday. GASC will be purchasing the rice at EGP 7,500 per tonne, which could be increased to EGP 7,600 a tonne if the companies stick to their delivery schedules, according to the sources.