Higher Administrative Court strikes down zero tolerance policy on ergot

Funeral of the now-dead zero tolerance policy on ergot in imported wheat will be attended by absolutely no one: The Higher Administrative Court has struck down on Saturday the defunct zero tolerance policy on ergot contamination in wheat imports. The decisions allows the current policy of accepting imports with 0.05% ergot contamination to continue unencumbered, according to Al Shorouk. The ruling strikes down a court decision from last November that attempted legal voodoo to revive the policy by invalidating a government decree allowing imports of wheat with 0.05% ergot — the global standard. The government filed an appeal with the Higher Administrative Court. The flip flop over ergot, which began in 2016, had caused widespread headaches for industry players, with traders having been reluctant to participate in tenders by the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC). Let's hope the ruling puts the whole issue to bed once and for all.