On 22 March, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Samir announced that a three-month ban on sugar exports will be imposed to ensure domestic supply, except for quantities that exceed market demand. The Egyptian Ministry of Supply and Domestic Trade will assess the amount of sugar that exceeds the country's demand and exports will be subject to the minister's approval prior to export. To make up for the shortage of sugar cane, Egypt planted 620,000 feddans of sugar beet this year, an increase of 10,000 feddans compared to 2022, with a target of producing 1.8 million tonnes of sugar from the beet. Last week, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade increased the purchase price of sugar beet by EGP 75 per tonne for the current season to encourage farmers to grow more beet. Last month, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade said that sugar reserves were sufficient for three to five months.