528
D. M. Gouda
2.1 The Nile Delta and Agriculture
Egypt is an agriculture-based country though it only contributed about 11% of total
GDP in 2016/2017 [21]. It provides livelihoods for about 50% of the rural population
and employs about 30% of the labor force in farms and agriculture-based industries
[22]. Agriculture is also an important source of food for most of the Egyptian population, especially those living in rural areas [23]. Over the past decades, agricultural
research has allowed Egypt to increase its self-sufficiency in many field crops’, such
as wheat and sugar crops [24]. In 2015, self-sufficiency in cereals reached about
60%, 100% in sugar crops, and 70% in oil crops [13, 25, 26].
The Nile Delta, located in the north of Egypt, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
with a coastline of 240 km stretched out from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in
the east [27], is central for Egypt’s agricultural production. Agricultural land in the
Nile Delta covers about 2% of Egypt’s total area [27], while the total agricultural
land in Egypt (Old and New Lands)
1 —about 9 million feddan—constitutes about
4% of Egypt’s total area. The major agricultural governorates in the Nile Delta
include: Damietta, Dakhahlia, Sharkia, Qalyubia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Gharbia, Menufia,
Beheira, Ismailia and Alexandria
2 (see Map 1). Most of the agricultural land in these
governorates are Old Lands, except for Alexandria, Ismailia and Beheira where about
60%, 40%, and 30% respectively of their total agricultural land area is New Lands.
While 100% of the agricultural land in Daqahlia, Gharbia and Menufia is Old Lands
(see Table 8 in Annex for the agricultural land area in the Nile Delta governorates and
agricultural land by type: Old and New Land categorized under different agricultural
cooperatives: credit, agrarian reform and land reclamation cooperatives).
The Nile Delta governorates are home for about 50% of Egypt’s population,
for more than 50% of the rural population and about 60% of the farmers (landowners). Moreover, the cultivation of field crops’ in the Nile Delta governorates, makes
available more than 55% of working days dedicated to field crops production in
Egypt.
These governorates encompass about 50% of Egypt’s agricultural land and contributed about 50% of the total field crops’ net value in 2015. In Table 1, the field
crops are grouped into crop groups: cereals, sugar crops, oil crops, pulses, medicinal
crops, vegetables, clover, and cotton. Cereals include wheat, barley, rice, and maize;
sugar crops include sugarcane and sugar beet; oil crops include peanut, sesame,
flax, sunflower, and soya beans; and vegetables include vegetables, potatoes, sweet
potatoes, onion, and garlic.
1 The agricultural land in Egypt is composed of Old and New Lands, the former is the alluvial land
formed over thousands of years through the silt coming with the annual flood, while the latter refers
to the land in the desert that has been reclaimed over the past six to seven decades.
2 The focus in this chapter is on 10 major agricultural governorates in the Nile Delta. These include:
Damietta, Dakhahlia, Sharkia, Qalyubia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Gharbia, Menufia, Beheira, Ismailia and
Alexandria. Port Said was excluded due its limited agricultural area accounting for about 100,000
feddan.
D. M. Gouda
2.1 The Nile Delta and Agriculture
Egypt is an agriculture-based country though it only contributed about 11% of total
GDP in 2016/2017 [21]. It provides livelihoods for about 50% of the rural population
and employs about 30% of the labor force in farms and agriculture-based industries
[22]. Agriculture is also an important source of food for most of the Egyptian population, especially those living in rural areas [23]. Over the past decades, agricultural
research has allowed Egypt to increase its self-sufficiency in many field crops’, such
as wheat and sugar crops [24]. In 2015, self-sufficiency in cereals reached about
60%, 100% in sugar crops, and 70% in oil crops [13, 25, 26].
The Nile Delta, located in the north of Egypt, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
with a coastline of 240 km stretched out from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in
the east [27], is central for Egypt’s agricultural production. Agricultural land in the
Nile Delta covers about 2% of Egypt’s total area [27], while the total agricultural
land in Egypt (Old and New Lands)
1 —about 9 million feddan—constitutes about
4% of Egypt’s total area. The major agricultural governorates in the Nile Delta
include: Damietta, Dakhahlia, Sharkia, Qalyubia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Gharbia, Menufia,
Beheira, Ismailia and Alexandria
2 (see Map 1). Most of the agricultural land in these
governorates are Old Lands, except for Alexandria, Ismailia and Beheira where about
60%, 40%, and 30% respectively of their total agricultural land area is New Lands.
While 100% of the agricultural land in Daqahlia, Gharbia and Menufia is Old Lands
(see Table 8 in Annex for the agricultural land area in the Nile Delta governorates and
agricultural land by type: Old and New Land categorized under different agricultural
cooperatives: credit, agrarian reform and land reclamation cooperatives).
The Nile Delta governorates are home for about 50% of Egypt’s population,
for more than 50% of the rural population and about 60% of the farmers (landowners). Moreover, the cultivation of field crops’ in the Nile Delta governorates, makes
available more than 55% of working days dedicated to field crops production in
Egypt.
These governorates encompass about 50% of Egypt’s agricultural land and contributed about 50% of the total field crops’ net value in 2015. In Table 1, the field
crops are grouped into crop groups: cereals, sugar crops, oil crops, pulses, medicinal
crops, vegetables, clover, and cotton. Cereals include wheat, barley, rice, and maize;
sugar crops include sugarcane and sugar beet; oil crops include peanut, sesame,
flax, sunflower, and soya beans; and vegetables include vegetables, potatoes, sweet
potatoes, onion, and garlic.
1 The agricultural land in Egypt is composed of Old and New Lands, the former is the alluvial land
formed over thousands of years through the silt coming with the annual flood, while the latter refers
to the land in the desert that has been reclaimed over the past six to seven decades.
2 The focus in this chapter is on 10 major agricultural governorates in the Nile Delta. These include:
Damietta, Dakhahlia, Sharkia, Qalyubia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Gharbia, Menufia, Beheira, Ismailia and
Alexandria. Port Said was excluded due its limited agricultural area accounting for about 100,000
feddan.