Egyptians have associated themselves with the River Nile and with agriculture since time immemorial. They were the first ever to create an irrigation system, invent Nilometers to measure the height of water in the river and build dams and barrages to store and control water. The Ptolemaic era saw agricultural land expanded, and crops diversified.

With Islam established in Egypt, attention was given to introducing new crops such as rice, corn and other cereals.

Since the outbreak of the July 1952 Revolution, major irrigation projects have been implemented, the most prominent being the High Dam; a project which to date has protected Egypt's water security and allowed for cultivable land expansion.

The march of agricultural development proceeded so that the annual average of agricultural growth rose from 2.6% in the 1980s to 3.4% in the 1990s to reach 3.6% in 2006/07. Moreover, the area of agricultural lands rose to 2.3 million feddans during this period, thus, Egypt broke through towards projects of huge agricultural expansion that contribute to the addition of 1.4 million feddans, thus increasing the inhabited area from 5.5% to 25% of Egypt's area. Furthermore, this redrew the demographic map after creating new urban communities, in the depths of the Egyptian desert, that represent population-attraction regions due to the new job opportunities they provide. 

Of Egypt's entire labor force, 30 per cent works in the agricultural sector contributing some 14.8 per cent of the country's entire GDP. At 2006 prices, agricultural products are presently valued at EGP81.370 billion; of which EGP81.313 billion are supplied by the Private Sector; 58.6 million by the Public Sector.

Agriculture contributes 30 per cent to Egypt's commodity exports, which makes it a major revenue-generator.

New policies have been adopted, which seek to encourage agricultural investments. The government provides the infrastructure and services required, such as irrigation, roads and other utilities, together with credit-lines and tax exemptions tailored to meet the conditions and potentials of each and every region.

In addition to the winter, summer and Nile inundation growing seasons, Egypt has all-year-round and multiple-year plantations such as sugar cane, fruit and wood-producing trees.

The country's cultivated area is estimated to have reached 8.47 million feddans (8.159 million acres) in 2006; i.e. 3.5 per cent of Egypt's area. Meanwhile, vertical cultivation has brought the crop area up to 14.6 million feddans (14.065 million acres). Meanwhile, a long-term plan is being implemented at present to increase the area of land reclaimed by 2017 to 3.4 million feddans (3.274 million acres) with 150 thousand feddans (144,508.670 thousand acres) added to Egypt's cultivable area every year.

Mega Agricultural Projects

Egypt began to implement a series of mega agricultural projects to cover the whole country and to achieve the balanced agricultural development between Egypt's governorates.

The year 2007 witnessed announcing financing a project to reclaim 255 feddans at the west of Noubareya with cost of $ 500 million during three years.

Toshka

The project is designed to create a new delta south of the Western Desert parallel to the Nile, adding 540,000 feddans (520,231.213 acres) to Egypt's cultivated area. Water for irrigation will originate in Lake Nasser. The project is estimated to cost EGP5.5 billion, out of which a sum of EGP4.8 billion has so far been expended. 85 per cent of the work has already been implemented. Nile water has been used to irrigate 54 thousand feddans (52,023.121 acres).

Al-Salam Canal

Al-Salam Canal is expected to add to Egypt's cultivable area 620,000 feddans (597,302.504 acres). It extends 262 kilometers length-wise serving 220 thousand feddans (211,946.050 acres) of reclaimed land west of the Canal (Phase I).

Meanwhile, a reservoir has been created underneath the Suez Canal carrying Nile water to Sinai to serve 400 thousand feddans (385,356.454 acres) (Phase II). Investments channeled into the project until 2005/06 are estimated at EGP5.7 billion.

The area of land so far cultivated measures about 156 thousand feddans (150,289.017 acres) west of the Canal and 273 thousand feddans (263,005.780 acres) in Sinai.

Moreover, clean agricultural techniques will be applied to produce pollutant-free crops suitable for exportation. Up to June 30, 2003, about 47,000 feddans were cultivated and infrastructure for 380 wells was implemented. Scientific method was applied in selecting the crops, the most significant of which are: potatoes, medicinal herbs, fruits and grains that suit regional climate. Production yielded quite promising results and was totally exported. The 10-year project has total investment cost of LE 3.5 billion and is expected to provide 20,000 job opportunities.

East Uwaiynat

East Uwaiynat is a project located southwest of Egypt's Western Desert. It aims at reclaiming and cultivating an area of 255 thousand feddans (24,566.473 acres) entirely by relying on subterranean water. Project investments amount to around EGP3.5 billion.

Since 1997 to the present, the cultivated area in East Uwaiynat has reached 47.5 thousand feddans (45,279.865 acres). Crops planted successfully range from corn and barley to vegetables and fruits, and aromatic and medicinal plants.

Darb al-Araba'in:

The project stands in the Western desert and contributes around 12 thousand feddans (11,560.693 acres) of reclaimed land entirely relying on subterranean water for irrigation. Organic crops are planted, the most successful of which are olives, dates, vegetables and fruits, and aromatic plants.

The New Village Program:

The project aims at setting up 400 new villages in Egypt's desert backyard in the period from 2006 to 2011. The goal is to reclaim and cultivate 1 million feddans (1.308 million acres), of which 700 thousand feddans (674,373.795 acres) will be allocated to holdings of no more than 10 feddans (9.633 acres)/family; 300 thousand feddans (229,357.798 acres) to major holdings. Export crops are to be grown organically with investors, export companies and owners of small holdings cooperating with the management, production and marketing operations. The project is expected to generate 420 thousand work opportunities in all.

Exports:

Agricultural exports are a major revenue-generator given the fact that they rose from EGP471 million in the early 1980s to EGP6.3 billion in 2005.

In 2007, the value of agricultural exports reached about US Dollar 900 million.

In 2005, raw cotton represented about 20 per cent of agricultural exports. Top on the list of Egyptian cotton importers are India, Pakistan and China.

Rice is the Number One export crop in the period from 2001 to 2005. Its export value has risen to $293 million in 2005 as against $134 million in 2001 with a growth rate of 119 per cent. Rice represents 40 per cent of Egypt's exports (raw cotton excluded).

Occupying second and third places in 2001/05 are potatoes and oranges; with potatoes earning $77 million at the growth rate of 148 per cent; oranges $75 million at the growth rate of 47 per cent.

The European Union is the major importer of Egyptian products, it absorbs 42 per cent of the country's exports.

Crop Production Quantity

The agricultural sector succeeded in realizing increasing rates in the production of several agricultural crops and occupying lead positions worldwide in the production of a number of strategic crops of which:

*Rice ranked as the highest in productivity worldwide; productivity reached 4.2 tons/feddan.

* Egypt ranked first in producing sugarcane, with average production of 51.4 tons/feddan.

* Egypt ranked second in the production of maize; average productivity reached 25.5 ardeb/feddan.

* Egypt ranked fourth in the production of wheat; average productivity reached 19.25 ardeb/feddan. 
 

Development in the Agricultural Productivity during the Fifth 5-year-Plan (2002-2007)

The Characteristics of Agricultural Investments
Egypt's goals are:

• To guarantee unlimited areas for growing all kinds of crop; hence the liberalization of the country's crop composition
• To ensure that the Private Sector is free to produce, market and import fertilizers, improved seeds, pesticides and other agricultural requisites.
• To liberalize the selling of crops.
• To guarantee the free marketing of cotton through the reinstitution of the Cotton Commodities Exchange and the Cotton Contract Exchange.
• To encourage cooperatives and Private Sector companies to broker deals between producers on the one hand and consumers and exporters on the other.
• To advocate rural development through small enterprises relying on local services.
• To guarantee that the Private Sector is free to export/import agricultural commodities.
• To raise the prices of crops and of agricultures requirements.
• To develop a solid agricultural infrastructure.
• To provide land suitable for cultivation and reclamation.
• To provide and conserve water by using modern methods of irrigation.
• To provide cheap and skilled labor.
• To create opportunities for agricultural exports, both locally as well as in Europe, the US and Arab and African markets.

• Agriculture- CAPMAS