Egypt has planted more than 3.1mn feddans of local wheat so far

CAIRO: Egypt, the world's largest wheat buyer, has planted more than 3.1 million feddans of its local grain so far in the planting season that began in mid November, an official at the agriculture ministry told Reuters on Thursday.

Egypt is approaching its targeted area of 3.5 million feddans, said Abbas El-Shennawy, head of the agricultural services sector at the ministry.

The country's local harvest begins in mid-April.