On 11 December, the Cabinet Committee on Industrial and Economic Development approved a 26 percent increase in the procurement price for the 2018 wheat crop, now pegged at USD 630 per tonne. The measure aims to promote domestic production amid tight domestic supplies, which have contributed to pushing up prices (FPMA Price Warning). Production of wheat in 2018 is estimated to have increased year on year to a level in excess of 100 000 tonnes, however, the country still depends on imports to meet its consumption requirements.