Egypt may reject 59,000 tonnes of French wheat

Egypt is considering rejecting 59,000 tonnes of French wheat purchased by state grain buyer GASC due to the presence of poppy seeds, the second cargo to come under such scrutiny and raising fresh uncertainty over the country's import policy.

The world's biggest wheat importer threw the international grains market into confusion in 2015 by rejecting a cargo that contained the common wheat fungus ergot, triggering a row over policy in Cairo that is still simmering and worrying traders.

Egypt's agricultural ministry said on Sunday its quarantine authority was examining seeds in the French cargo.

"If they prove to be poppy seeds a decision will be taken to reject the shipment and transfer the case to the general prosecutor," spokesman Hamid Abdel Dayim told Reuters.

A 63,000 tonne Romanian wheat cargo is currently being considered for final rejection and re-export at the office of the general prosecutor after the quarantine authority found it contained poppy seeds.

Cairo-based traders said poppy seeds were becoming "the new ergot."