Indonesians Buying Bread to Spur Wheat Imports Like Egypt’s

Wheat imports by Indonesia may jump to more than 10 million tons a year in five years as rising incomes spur demand for noodles, cakes and cookies in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, according to Rabobank International.

Shipments expanded more than threefold over the past two decades to 7.1 million metric tons in 2012-2013, analyst Pawan Kumar wrote in a report received today. Imports of more than 10 million tons would place Indonesia, which can’t grow the grain locally because it’s too hot and humid, on par with the current leading global importer, Egypt, Kumar wrote.