Agriculture In Egypt - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Agriculture In Egypt - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Agriculture in the Egypt market is projected to witness a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period (2022-2027). During the pandemic, agriculture stood out to be the most resilient sector. Impacts on Egypt's agri-food system were less severe than elsewhere in the economy. Most damages were in nonfarm components of the agri-food system due to falling consumer demand. The government made investments and reforms in the food system in Egypt, with the country's food sector managing to address the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Agriculture is a key sector in the Egyptian economy. In 2019, it contributed 11% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and accounted for 23% of the total employment. Egypt aims to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) contribution of its agriculture sector to 12% by 2024, in addition to increasing agricultural production by 30% by 2024, according to the Minister of Planning and Economic Development.

An increasing number of projects to ensure food security, government initiatives to boost domestic production, and focus on sustainable and green farming are the factors driving the market. The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR) lead the 2020-2023 Agricultural Innovation Project (AIP). The initiative aims to promote innovations in technologies to improve several issues in agriculture, such as inefficient farming techniques that lower farm output and food production, poor post-harvest facilities, and marketing infrastructure. The focus on creating innovative solutions would increase income for small-scale farmers in the country.

Some of the major crops grown in Egypt include sugar beet, sugarcane, wheat, maize, rice, tomato, potato, onion, orange, grapes, and dates. Sugarcane is the prominent crop produced in the country, with a production quantity of14,913.5 thousand metric tons in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). With the implementation of various business models, the country aims to fulfill the quality requirements of the produce and to seize the profitable sales opportunities in domestic and export markets.

Agriculture is a vital component of the Egyptian economy. The government has increased its support for the development of the agricultural sector by launching a number of campaigns and initiatives. As part of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD’s) rapid response during the pandemic, under the PRIME project, the Egyptian government developed an e-marketing platform called SHARI which allowed smallholder farmers to market and sell their products online to reduce the risks of exposure and also secure markets for them in case of lockdown and movement restrictions.

The government also aims to introduce new solutions such as market linkages for smallholders that are fostered by improving their competitiveness in the value chain, facilitating roundtables, and developing out-grower schemes and public-private partnerships to boost production. For instance, in 2019, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Egyptian government launched a program to enhance agricultural productivity through digital technology. Implementation of digital technology helps farmers access information to better manage crops and livestock and help them make better agricultural decisions.

The government launched a campaign to boost wheat production with the main objective of increasing grain crop productivity per unit area (Faddan) by 15% in three years (2015-2017), to increase grain crop productivity of 18.5 ardebs per acre to about 20 ardebs per Faddan, thus increasing the total production. To build capacity in the private sector, USAID established a regional training center in order to increase and improve the productivity of farmers, laborers, packhouse managers, and buyers. This is further likely to strengthen the importance of agriculture in Egypt.

Egypt's major agricultural exports to the world are potatoes, cotton, and fresh fruit, primarily citrus. As per Agricultural Export Council, an increase in the total quantities exported from the agricultural sector recorded about 3.971 million metric tons from September 2020 to June 2021, compared to 3.755 million metric tons during the same period from 2019/2020, with a growth of 5.7%.

The Agricultural Export Council aims to increase the exports of the agricultural sector by 10% during the 2021/22 export season. Higher sales of citrus fruits, beets, and potatoes were the prominent crops that aided the record year for Egyptian agricultural exports in 2021, exceeding 5.6 million metric tons.

The expansion of agricultural greenhouses increased the production of quality pepper and its competitiveness in the international market in 2020. This contributed to stimulating international demand for the Egyptian product, taking exports of the previous season to about 7,500 metric tons at a value of USD 5.8million.

The country's Sustainable Development Strategy toward 2030 focuses on increasing self-sufficiency with regard to agricultural products with the objective of making the most of the water and land resources in a sustainable way, thereby creating additional demand for Egyptian produce. Most of Egypt's exports are destined for the EU, Russia, North Africa, and the Middle East.

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