Wheat from India headed to Egypt.

With Russia invading Ukraine, global wheat prices face the heat.

Disrupted Black Sea shipping has led to Egypt knocking on India’s doors to import wheat. Bread, one of the staple foods of Egypt, needs wheat, and Egypt’s Supply Ministry has confirmed that it is considering importing wheat from India in addition to 16 other import origins accepted by the state’s grains buyer.

A delegation from Egypt’s Agriculture Minister is already in India and “are looking at phytosanitary measures and examining Indian grains in preparation for the accreditation of India as a wheat import origin,” the Supply Ministry said in a statement.

Egypt is the world’s top wheat importer because bread is made available to more than 60 million Egyptians at heavily subsidized rates. Currently, Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and the United States are among Egypt’s 16 accredited wheat import origins. However, the Pharaoh land prefers Black Sea wheat because of its quality, proximity, and competitive prices. And now, since Black Sea Shipping is stuck in the Russia-Ukraine war, Egypt is keen on shoring its wheat reserves.

The Supply Ministry said that the purchase of Indian wheat would depend on suppliers “offering competitive bids at unique prices in General Authority for Supply Commodities’ tenders and the quantities offered.” India, too, is looking to take advantage of the gap in the wheat export market left by the Ukrainian crisis. Till now, quality issues have plagued India’s wheat export dreams.

But this might change now.  “Since the Egyptian delegation is here, it clearly means that they are serious about buying wheat from India,” said Sudhanshu Pandey, the top official at India’s food ministry, when talking to Reuters.