Corn set to overtake wheat as Egypt’s largest cereal import in 2026/2027

Corn moves ahead of Egypt’s staple grain

Corn is poised to become Egypt’s largest imported cereal for the first time, displacing wheat from a position closely associated with the country’s food-security policy. Egypt is expected to import 13.2 million tonnes of corn during the 2026/2027 marketing year, against 13 million tonnes of wheat, according to US Department of Agriculture data published in August and reported by Agence Ecofin.

The difference is only 200,000 tonnes, meaning that the ranking will depend on whether the forecasts materialise. Even so, the projected crossover illustrates a significant change in the composition of Egyptian grain demand. Wheat remains the country’s principal food staple, while corn is primarily tied to demand from animal-production industries.

Animal industries drive feed requirements

Poultry and aquaculture account for more than 85% of Egypt’s total corn consumption, Agence Ecofin reported. Domestic farms produce only about one-third of the corn the country needs. Importers must cover most of the remaining requirement to maintain supplies to poultry and fish producers, making feed-sector growth increasingly important to Egypt’s position in international grain markets.

The expansion of animal production is visible in national output figures cited by Agence Ecofin. Egypt produced 1.92 billion chickens and 16 billion eggs in 2025, compared with 1.4 billion chickens and 14 billion eggs before 2023. Private investment in poultry and aquaculture has therefore raised demand for imported feed ingredients even as wheat continues to dominate direct human cereal consumption.

Import growth reshapes exporter opportunities

Egypt has more than doubled its foreign corn purchases since the 2022/2023 marketing year. Imports are forecast to increase by another 700,000 tonnes in 2026/2027 to reach 13.2 million tonnes. On that basis, the previous season’s volume was 12.5 million tonnes. The additional demand strengthens Egypt’s importance as a destination for suppliers able to compete on feed-grade corn, freight and delivery terms.

At 13.2 million tonnes, Egypt would consolidate its position as the world’s fifth-largest corn importer, behind Mexico, the European Union, Vietnam and Japan. The country would simultaneously remain a major wheat buyer, with projected imports of 13 million tonnes. The shift is consequently not a retreat from wheat dependence but the emergence of a second import requirement of comparable scale.

Two distinct markets within one grain balance

The near-equal volumes should not obscure the different forces behind the two flows. Wheat purchases support consumption of Egypt’s principal staple food. Corn imports, by contrast, respond largely to production decisions in poultry and aquaculture, where local feed supply cannot keep pace with demand. Exporters assessing Egyptian demand will therefore need to monitor livestock and fish output alongside the conventional indicators of population-driven wheat consumption.

For Egyptian producers and processors, the growing corn deficit increases exposure to international supply conditions and import availability. For grain traders, Egypt is developing into a market where corn and wheat each generate annual import demand of about 13 million tonnes, but serve different customers and face different demand risks. Whether corn retains first place beyond 2026/2027 will depend on the pace of animal-industry growth and the ability of domestic cultivation to cover more than its current share of consumption.