Egypt, the largest importer and consumer of soybeans in the Middle East and North Africa, is projected to import approximately 4.2 million tonnes of soybeans in the marketing year 2025-26. This represents a notable 5% increase compared to the previous year, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The FAS attributes this increase to several key factors: an anticipated rise in livestock feed consumption, driven by the growing poultry and dairy sectors, and favourable foreign currency exchange rates that make imports more financially viable. Similar trends are likely to drive soybean imports up 29% to an estimated 4 million tonnes in the 2024-25 marketing year, reflecting the demands of Egypt’s population exceeding 114 million people.
Domestic production of soybeans remains critically low, with projections indicating that Egyptian farmers will only produce about 85,000 tonnes from a mere 30,000 hectares in 2025-26. This output is on par with previous years and accounts for a scant 2% of the country’s total soybean consumption, highlighting Egypt’s heavy reliance on imports. U.S. soybeans constitute around 70% of these imports, making the U.S. a key supplier for Egyptian agriculture.
“Soybean meal is the major source of protein in animal feed rations and is widely preferred for its high nutritional quality,” the FAS stated. The report further notes that feed utilisation of soybean meal is projected to rise by 3.1% compared to the previous marketing year, reflecting the continuing demand for quality feed ingredients in a growing animal husbandry industry.
The total consumption of soybeans in Egypt is expected to reach 4.2 million tonnes in 2025-26, an increase from an estimated 4 million tonnes in 2024-25 and 3.16 million tonnes in 2023-24. This rising demand underscores the critical need for sustainable production practices in the oilseed sector.
The FAS emphasises that “domestic production of soybeans and sunflower seeds in Egypt is inadequate to meet local consumption needs.” High production costs, regulatory challenges, and difficulties in contract farming have historically hindered the growth of domestic soybean production.
Furthermore, the FAS forecasts a 5% increase in Egypt’s oilseed crush capacity, which is expected to reach 4.2 million tonnes in the 2025-26 marketing year, compared to the previous year’s estimates. This increase is anticipated due to the inflow of imported soybeans, as local crush facilities have an operational capacity ranging between 9 million to 10 million tonnes, running at only 55% to 60% efficiency.
For the marketing year of 2025-26 (October-September), Egypt’s production of soymeal is projected to be 3.15 million tonnes, representing a 5% increase year-on-year. The FAS has also revised its estimate for the previous year, raising it by 500,000 tonnes to 3 million tonnes. Increasing feed demand is expected to propel soymeal consumption to 3.3 million tonnes in 2025-26, marking an annual growth of 3.1%. This trend emphasises the importance of improving both domestic production capacities and import strategies to meet the essential protein needs of Egypt’s livestock sector.
