Agriculture
From The Report: Egypt 2020
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Agriculture has long been a critical pillar of Egypt’s economy, strengthened by the rich natural conditions around the Nile. The country produces an array of fruits, vegetables, cereals, cotton, sugar and livestock for both domestic consumption and export. Despite challenging global factors, and growing concerns regarding the effects of climate change and urbanisation on water security, the agricultural sector continues to thrive. The country continues to tap into new markets, even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, agricultural exports are strong, and by mid-May 2020 Egypt’s exports were more than half of the whole of 2019. New research and innovation initiatives will be key in teaching the next generation of farmers and sector officials improved methods, with the hope that these technologies will in time trickle down to the country’s small-scale farmers and set up the sector for a strong future.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Seeds of growth: Crop exports rise as research and training programmes seek to support the next generation of farmers
OBG
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Agriculture has long been a critical pillar of Egypt’s economy, strengthened by the rich natural conditions around the Nile. The country produces an array of fruits, vegetables, cereals, cotton, sugar and livestock for both domestic consumption and export. Indeed, following the disruption of global supply chains due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector has taken on a renewed importance domestically, while experiencing an increase in demand for exports. The sector is also facing several…

Analysis

Low tide: Modernised irrigation systems and desalination plants are central to efforts to ensure water security
OBG
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Around 98% of Egypt’s population is concentrated along the Nile Valley and Delta, and this clustering highlights Egypt’s dependence on the river as a source of water. The population of 100m consumes between 105bn and 110bn cu metres of water a year, while the Nile’s annual flow is around 55.5bn cu metres a year. The vast majority of the country is desert, and the dry climate and arid landscape mean that there is a heavy reliance on water from the Nile for agricultural irrigation. An…