Egypt Set to Remain Arab World's Top Wheat Producer by 2026

Egypt is expected to remain the Arab world's largest wheat producer in 2026, according to estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The country's domestic production is projected to exceed 10 million tons, up 6.5 percent from 9.4 million tons in 2025. This increase has contributed to a decline in wheat imports to 12.5 million tons, compared with around 13.2 million tons the previous year.

The area cultivated with wheat rose to 3.76 million feddans, an increase of up to 600,000 feddans from the previous season. The government set the wheat procurement price at EGP 2,500 per ardab under directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to encourage farmers.

Egypt has also expanded the development and cultivation of high-yielding, climate-resilient wheat varieties, including Misr 3 and Misr 4; Giza 171; Sakha 95 and 96; Sids 14 and 15; Beni Suef 5 and 7; and Sohag 5 and 6. The government's local procurement programme is designed to secure part of the country's needs, build strategic reserves, and reduce exposure to fluctuations in global wheat prices and supply disruptions.