CAIRO, EGYPT — Egypt issued a wheat tender to import wheat from April 13 to 26, as it works on a plan to import from outside of Russia and Ukraine, Arab News reported.

It canceled another tender on Feb. 24 after it received only one offer. A tender must have more than one offer to become valid.

A government spokesperson said the country is looking for alternative wheat sources and has a 5-million-tonne strategic stockpile of wheat. It will supply the country with wheat for nine months.

“Egypt is working on a plan to import wheat from other sources instead of Russia and Ukraine, as Egypt has 14 countries approved for the supply of wheat, some of which are outside Europe,” Nader Saad, a government spokesperson, told Arab News.

Egypt imported 6.1 million tonnes of wheat in 2021. Russia and Ukraine are two of the largest wheat exporters to Egypt. In 2021, Russia sent 4.2 million tonnes of wheat, worth $1.2 billion, to Egypt, representing 69.4% of total Egyptian wheat imports.