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Libya’s imports of wheat increased from July 2022 to January 2023 to 937 thousand tons, of which 808 thousand tons were from Russia, accounting for 86 percent of its imports, according to statistics from the Libyan Customs Authority. This ranks Libya as the tenth largest Russian wheat importer.
Commenting exclusively to Libya Herald on Libya’s wheat import statistics, Dr. Ahmed Boulsien, Professor of Economics and former Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at the University of Tripoli, said “It appears, according to consumption expectations, and at this rate mentioned in the wheat import statistics from July last year until January this year, imports are expected to increase to more than 1.6 million tons.
1.55 million tons of wheat consumed in 2022
Libya’s consumption of wheat last year amounted to 1.55 million tons, of which more than one million tons were for human consumption, and the rest was used as fodder for animal consumption, he explained.
Increased number of local flour mills and pasta and semolina factories
Boulsien confirmed that Libya’s consumption of wheat is increasing due to the increase in the number of flour mills and local fodder. Consumption has also increased due to the increase of local pasta and semolina factories. Previously, only a small percentage of these products were produced locally, with the majority imported.
Several pasta manufacturers exporting to sub-Saharan Africa
Moreover, Boulsien pointed out that several Libyan pasta manufacturing companies have begun to export quantities of pasta to sub-Saharan African countries. This has resulted in an increase in their durum wheat imports to be used as raw material to meet local demand and export any surplus to African countries. Their high quality and good prices have opened export markets for them, he added.
Soft wheat is the largest volume of unloaded cargo at ports
In the same context, speaking exclusively to Libya Herald, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libyan Ports Company, Mohamed Hamedan, said Libya’s imports of wheat, both hard and soft, are increasing. He said soft wheat constitutes the largest proportion of ship cargo unloaded in Libyan ports in the past few months. The latest of these was the unloading of 32,700 tons of wheat at Khoms sea port, while on February 27, a shipment of wheat of 12,830 tons was unloaded from a ship.
Larger quantities of wheat expected in coming months
Hamedan believes that the Libyan ports from Tobruk to Benghazi in the east, to Khoms and Tripoli in the west, will receive larger quantities of wheat during the coming months, according to information from shipping agents in charge of sea lines and ships loaded with wheat that are scheduled to call on Libyan ports.
He concluded by saying that the Libyan Ports Company is prepared to unload any load of wheat within a few days directly to transport trucks, with the availability of silos for storing bulk wheat in Tobruk, Benghazi and Tripoli.
Libya buys 50,000 tonnes of Russian wheat (libyaherald.com)
