The world’s largest wheat buyer is backing away from recent comments regarding poppy seeds found in wheat shipments. Egypt has rejected two cargoes of wheat for import after testing found the shipments were contaminated with poppy seeds that Egypt called “drug-producing.” However, the poppy seeds were found to be of non-opium producing kinds, and Egypt now calls them “not very dangerous,” according to U.S. News and World Report. The comments could avert a trade issue between Egypt and wheat suppliers. Egypt is still considering its options on what the nation will do with the contaminated cargoes. Traders are watching closely, and have said that any rejection could lead them to boycott the nation’s massive tenders. In a similar move last year, Egypt temporarily banned any trace of ergot, a common grain fungus, in cargoes. That move halted the country’s billion-dollar grain trade after suppliers said the zero-tolerance level was impossible to guarantee.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.