Egypt has so far bought 1.4 million tonnes of the grain from farmers in its harvest, procuring more than a third of its target in the first two weeks. The government has said it is looking to buy about 4 million tonnes of wheat from farmers this harvest, which ends in July. Egypt expects to buy an additional 7 million tonnes of the grain from abroad during the 2018-19 financial year that begins in July. It uses the wheat to supply a sprawling bread subsidy system relied on by tens of millions of people.