Egypt confounds wheat thieves

Alexandria
A move to store Egypt's wheat in state-of-the-art warehouses monitored by a control centre in Cairo could end losses from theft and waste, cutting its $3 billion bread subsidy bill, an executive at the U.S. firm designing the project said.
By automating and centralising monitoring and access the new system is designed to save Egypt, the world's top wheat importer, $200 million annually.
Theft is rampant at open-air sites, contributing to post-harvest losses estimated at 40 percent.
"Just bringing the wheat indoors and putting a roof over it drastically reduces how much wheat is spoiled," said Peter Blumberg, vice-president at Blumberg Grain.
"Much of the new technology here helps to monitor it once it's already inside and safe from pests and the elements."
Blumberg Grain, a family-owned food storage firm based in Florida, signed a $28 million contract with Egypt last December to modernise storage at 93 sites.