Egypt debating boost to export crops in place of wheat, Sisi says

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday that planting crops more profitable and exportable than wheat could be beneficial for the country.

"Don't tell me today I can plant a million acres with wheat," Sisi said at an event commemorating the current local wheat harvest. "You can grow other products that are three times the value of wheat. This is a discussion we're having."

He added that Egypt can export these profitable crops and in turn use the proceeds to import wheat.

Egypt, one of the biggest wheat importers in the world, usually imports around 10 million metric tons per year, with the government importing around half of that to make subsidised bread for tens of millions of Egyptians.

Limited water resources and a growing population have posed challenges in reaching wheat self-sufficiency in Egypt.