Russia Exports Record Amounts Of Barley To Egypt

Russia exported over 32,000 tonnes of barley to Egypt valued at nearly US$8 million in 10M 2025, the Russian Agriculture Ministry’s Agroexport center has said. The bulk of the supplies were exported in October as the domestic consumption requirement increases during the cooler months.

Agroexport said that “This is an all-time high for exports of barley to Egypt.” The previous largest export revenue was recorded in 2019 at over US$1.1 million. Small consignments of barley were also shipped to Egypt in 2023.

Barley is used for making beer and spirits, feeding animals, and as a food for humans in products like soups, stews, and cereals. It is a versatile grain that can be used as a substitute for rice or made into flour and is also valued for its potential health benefits due to its high fiber content.

Barley consumption in Egypt is significant, both historically and currently. Historically, barley was a staple for creating bread and beer, forming the basis of the ancient Egyptian diet. Today, barley use has shifted; it is used mainly for animal feed (around 65%), malting (33%), and some human food and beverage production. Recent proposals suggest increasing human consumption by mixing it with wheat flour in baladi bread to reduce Egypt’s reliance on wheat imports.

Egypt consumes over 20 million metric tons of wheat annually, with the majority of this used for bread production. This high consumption is driven by a large and growing population, which necessitates significant imports to supplement domestic production, making Egypt the world’s largest wheat importer.

The current price of barley in Egypt is about US$206 per tonne, and for wheat, about US$260 per tonne.