Government decides to import rice, suggesting further cuts in local cultivation are coming

Government decides to import rice, suggesting further cuts in local cultivation are coming: The government decided yesterday to import “the necessary quantities” of rice to increase its availability and “control the market,” according to a Cabinet statement. The imported rice will be required to meet the same quality standards as Egyptian rice. No details were provided on how much rice will be imported. The move suggests that Egypt will “begin an import programme since sharply reducing its own production of rice,” of which we typically have a surplus, Reuters notes. The government has clamped down on the cultivation of water-intensive crops, including rice, through recently-passed amendments to the Agriculture Act.