CAIRO – 20 March 2026: As March draws to a close, farmers across Egypt are turning their attention to the vast expanses of yellow gold, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation prepares to launch the local wheat harvest.
This year’s season comes amidst ambitious government plans to increase supply rates, supported by unprecedented financial incentives and facilitative measures aimed at ensuring bread availability and bolstering national food security.
Harvest map
The harvest season is scheduled to officially begin in mid-April 2026, starting earlier in the Upper Egypt governorates (Aswan, Luxor, and Qena) due to the higher temperatures that accelerate the ripening of the wheat.
Harvesting operations will continue throughout May and June, encompassing the Delta and Lower Egypt governorates, while in some newly reclaimed areas, the season will extend until mid-August.
Ambitious figures and targets
This year, the Egyptian government aims to collect between 4.5 and 5 million tons of locally grown wheat for the subsidized bread program.
These projections are based on an increase in cultivated areas, exceeding 3.7 million feddans, an increase of 200,000 feddans over the initial target, thanks to the expansion of national projects such as “Future of Egypt” and the New Delta.
Financial incentives to support farmers
In a proactive step to encourage farmers, the Cabinet announced an increase in the wheat procurement price for the 2026 season to 2,350 Egyptian pounds per ardeb (purity grade 23.5), an incentive increase aimed at keeping pace with global prices and supporting the purchasing power of Egyptian farmers.
Despite the challenges posed by climate change, particularly temperature fluctuations, experts at the Agricultural Research Center confirmed that adherence to the “varietal map” and the use of certified, high-yield seeds significantly contributed to the crop’s resilience and ensured its quality this year.