Egypt aims to expand its grain storage capacity to 4.5 million tonnes from 3 million by building new silos, Supplies Minister Mohamed Abu Shadi was quoted by the state news agency as saying.

Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer, usually consumes around 18 million tonnes of wheat overall and buys about 10 million a year from international markets.

It uses a mixture of domestic and imported wheat for its subsidised bread programme, which feeds millions of people.

Abu Shadi said a national programme to expand storage capacity had already built 24 new silos. Construction of a further 26 had started, he added in a meeting with members of the bakers' syndicate.

A further 50 silos would be built with assistance from the UAE, he said, double the number announced in October as part of a UAE aid package to Egypt.

Abu Shadi said the aim was to build the new silos this year, though it was not clear if he was referring to the calendar year or the government fiscal year which ends on June 30, 2014.

He added the government's commodity buying agency had purchased 2.3 million tonnes of wheat in the last two months, with no shipments rejected because they complied with standards. - Reuters