A trade delegation has this week been showcasing UK-grown wheat to Egyptian millers and bakers.

Egypt is the world’s largest importer of wheat, according to the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), but does not currently import any UK grain. About 70% of Egypt’s wheat imports come from Russia and other Black Sea countries such as Romania, with the remainder from France, Germany, Australia and the US.

The AHDB this week organised a workshop in Cairo attended by bakers and millers from four private and three government-controlled Egyptian companies which together control between 70% and 80% of Egypt’s wheat imports.

With food technicians from Campden BRI on hand to advise delegates on how to get the best results, the workshop was designed to demonstrate the suitability of British wheat for a range of biscuits and baked goods.

 “In a post-Brexit environment the ability to be fleet of foot when export opportunities arise is key and soft wheat looks like a very real example of where collaboration across the supply chain could yield significant benefits,” said Dorit Cohen, AHDB export marketing executive for cereals.

“UK wheat is not widely known in the Egyptian market. Educating Egyptian millers and bakers on how to use UK flour to obtain the best results for their products will enable them to gain the confidence required and facilitate trade with the UK.”

Egypt currently imports about 11 million tonnes a year. The UK typically exports a total of between 1.5m tonnes and 2m tonnes a year.