Egypt has planted nearly 3 mln feddans of wheat - official

Egypt will have planted 3 million feddans (1.26 million hectares) of wheat within the next two to three days and still aims to plant a total of 3.5 million feddans this season, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Wednesday.

The previously announced target is part of efforts by Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, to increase the area used for growing strategic crops and improve food security, said Abbas al-Shennawi, head of services and follow-up at the ministry.

Egypt harvested 8.5 million tonnes of domestic wheat from around 3.16 million feddans last season. Its current planting season began in mid-November.