Higher wheat prices push Egypt to increase price of subsidized bread for first time since 1989

In June 2024, the Egyptian government raised the price of subsidized traditional baladi bread to 20 piastres ($0.004)1 per loaf—quadrupling the old price of 5 piastres. The change—the first such increase since 1989—was triggered by a number of factors: Egypt’s heavy reliance on wheat imports due to...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Jovanovic, Nina, Glauber, Joseph W.
Formato: Blog Post
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168109
Descripción
Sumario:In June 2024, the Egyptian government raised the price of subsidized traditional baladi bread to 20 piastres ($0.004)1 per loaf—quadrupling the old price of 5 piastres. The change—the first such increase since 1989—was triggered by a number of factors: Egypt’s heavy reliance on wheat imports due to limited arable crop base and growing population, along with high global wheat prices amid the Russia-Ukraine war, combined with the weakening of Egyptian pound (EGP) against the U.S. dollar in March 2024 and government efforts to reduce public spending.