Egypt imports 200k tons of raw sugar: Supply minister

He added that additional quantities had previously been imported, providing no further details.

Minister Moselhi said the step comes in light of the country's effort to grow its strategic reserves and ensure they are sufficient for at least six months.

Sugar prices surged by 38.4 percent in July 2023 compared to the same month last year, according to Egypt's latest official inflation data.

However, the government denied any sugar shortage at the supply outlets earlier this month, where the commodity is sold at subsidized prices for ration card holders.

Egypt is currently working on increasing its agricultural land through a land reclamation program aimed at restoring approximately 3.5 million feddans.

In March, Egypt raised procurement prices for the current season’s local sugar beets by EGP 75 per ton to encourage farmers to cultivate more.

This year, Egypt cultivated 620,000 feddans of sugar beets, adding nearly 10,000 feddans compared to 2022.

The country aims to produce 1.8 million tons of sugar from beets, according to government officials.