Egypt not thinking of buying wheat now- official
RTw 20.07.97 13:27
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CAIRO, July 20 (Reuter) - Egypt's main wheat importer said on
Sunday he was not thinking of buying wheat until the issues
raised by a government import ban on genetically engineered grain
were settled.
Egypt issued a decree that it would require imports of
commodities meant for human consumption to be accompanied by
proof that genetic engineering was not used in their production.
The decree also said that any imported grain or pulses must be
accompanied by a certificate saying it has not been genetically
altered.
"A freezing in the world market concerning Egypt will
continue for 15 to 20 days," Samir Shakankiri, vice chairman
of the state's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC),
told Reuters. "We have ceased watching the market until this
problem is solved."
"We used to watch the market to buy when prices go down.
Even if we could get the wheat for free, we would not buy it
because it would not enter the country without the
certificate," he added.
Shakankiri, whose organisation is the biggest wheat importer in
Egypt, said contacts were underway with exporting governments to
see how they could issue such certificates.
Egypt imports about six million tonnes of wheat a year from
suppliers including U.S., France, Australia, and Argentina.
U.S. industry sources in Cairo said they were trying to set up a
meeting soon with Egyptian authorities for an explanation of why
the decree was issued.
-- Cairo newsroom +202 578 3290/1