Egypt's staple foodstuff sufficient for 5-6 months

Egypt's supplies of essential foodstuff are sufficient to cover five to six months, Supply Minister Mohamed Ali El-Sheikh told a parliamentary committee on Monday.
In statements reported by state news agency MENA, the minister said that there was enough sugar to last for four and a half months, and enough oil for 5 and a half months.



The severe sugar shortage has resulted in a price hike in unsubsidised sugar that has reached EGP 9-10 per kilogramme, up from EGP 4.5-6 in August.

The ministry announced earlier this month that it had set the price of subsidized sugar at EGP 5 per kilogramme and increased the price for commercial and industrial purposes from EGP 6 to 7 per kg, in an attempt to regulate the market.