• About
Egypt is an intensive user of modern technologies to improve agricultural productivity in view of the natural resource base scarcity and population pressure. With this in mind, the very creation of the Ministry of Agriculture in the beginning of the 20th century was preceded by the establishment of technical divisions and the development of research capabilities. These endeavors culminated into the creation of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC) in the early 1970s. Over the past two decades, numerous achievements have been realized, including the development of new varieties, improved agronomic practices, livestock development, maintenance of the national herds and better food processing techniques. New crops and animal breeds have also been introduced and research has been dedicated to problem- solving, side by side with basic science. The overarching goal is to maximize the economic return per unit of land and water. Within the national agricultural development strategies, ARC assumes the following major functions: Conducting applied and basic research to generate a continuous flow of technologies that help increase productivity and reduce production cost; Transfer of new technologies to the farming community through extension service; and monitoring their adoption by the end users; and Human capital development as a continual process. The Center has so far implemented four 5-year plans and initiated the fifth 5-year plan (2002-2007) in July 2002. According to its Founding Law, ARC is required to develop its infrastructure, set its priorities, train its research personnel and support staff and upgrade its physical capabilities, with a view to achieve greater sustainability. Over the past two decades, ARC research personnel have increased from 1720 researchers in 1982 to 4300 researchers in 2001. New Central Laboratories and Institutes have been added to improve performance in the on-going plan which is built on the following pivotal themes: Sustainable development of research and extension capabilities; Upgrading technology transfer channels; and Utilizing, to the maximum level possible, the findings of science and technology developed abroad. The fifth 5-year plan incorporates 14 research programs, being implemented by 16 Institutes, 13 Central Labs, 10 regional stations, 36 specific research stations, 21 research administrations throughout Egypt and 4 research, extension and training centers of excellence. This effort is further supported by other partner agencies in MALR, MWRI, universities and sister research centers. Multidisciplinarity is the major feature of the current plan and key to its success. Clearer definition of research topics, geared to solving specific problems, is also another feature, complemented by the set objectives and the physical, human and financial resources earmarked to attain them. In view of the foregoing, ARC is now in a position to better serve the agricultural development efforts over the coming five years. Five years have already elapsed since the publication of the first ARC's Arabic and English Directory in 1998. It was deemed necessary to update this document, considering the new ARC roles and mission.
• History
Agricultural research, extension and the remarkable responsiveness of the Egyptian farmers to research and development (RandD) achievements have remarkably contributed to the Egyptian sustainable agricultural development. This has had a positive bearing on food security for an increasing population. These efforts were further buttressed by the sector reforms, including price incentives, initiated since the mid 1980s even before Egypt officially embarked on its ambitious economic reform program in the early 1990s. Following is an overview of the salient achievements during the period from 1982 to 2001:-
The agricultural land has increased from 6.2 million feddans in 1982 to 8.2 million feddans in 2001; a percent increase of 32.2. The cropped area has, likewise, increased from 11.2 million feddans in 1982 to million feddans in 2001; or by 29.4%.Annual growth rate of agricultural production has increased from 2.6% in the 1980s to 3.4% in the 1990s and to about 3.8% during the fourth 5-year plan (1997-2002).Strategic food crop yields have increased dramatically over the same period:Wheat productivity has increased from 9 ardabs in 1982 to 18 ardabs/fed in 2001.Maize productivity has increased from 12 ardabs in 19823.6 ardabs in 2001.Rice productivity has increased from 2.4 tons in 1982 to 3.9 tons in 2001.Sugarcane productivity has increased from 34 tons in 1982 to 50 tons in 2001.
By world standards, Egypt ranked first in rice, sugarcane and sorghum productivity per unit area.Total Grains have increased from 8.5 million tons in 1982 to 18.5 million tons in 2001. Wheat production recorded 6.3 million tons compared to 2.0 million tons in 1982. Maize production reached 6.6 million tons in compared to 3.35 million tons in 1982. Rice production reached 5.2 million tons in 2001, compared to 2.4 million tons in 1982. Other grain crops (e.g. barley, sorghum and yellow corn) have also achieved increaseboth production and productivity. As a result, self-sufficiency in wheat production has improved, recording about 56% in 2001, despite population growth and high domestic consumption. Wheat productivity gains reduced the volume and value of wheat imports. Egypt was elected to the chair of the International Wheat Council in 1994 for the first time since the inception of that council in 1949. It is also expected that sufficiency in wheat would increase to 75% through the increased adoption of high yielding varieties and the expansion of mixing maize flour (20%) and wheat flour (80%) in the production of baladi bread.Sugar production has increased from 649000 tons in 1982 to 1.5 million tons in 2001, thus raising self-sufficiency in sugar from 55% in 1982 to 80% in 2001.Vegetable production has increased from 8.0 million tons in 1982 to about 15.4 million tons in 2001, and fruits production has almost tripled from 2.6 million tons in 1982 to about 7.5 million tons in 2001.Red meat production has increased from 315000 tons in 1982 to 545000 tons in 2001, thus raising self-sufficiency in red meat from 65% in 1982 to about 75% in 2001. Poultry meat production, including the rural sechas increased from 315000 tons to about 700000 tons over the same period, thus achieving 100% self-sufficiency in poultry meat. Table egg production has also increased from 3.2 billion eggs in 1982 to about 7.0 bileggs in 2001, thus achieving 100% sufficiency. Fresh milk production has increased from 1.9 million tons to 4.0 million tons over the same period. Fish production has also increased from 200000 tons in 1982 to 75tons in 2001.Agricultural exports have increased substantially in 2001. Cotton exports reached about 2.0 million kentars, rice 750000 tons, potato 237000 tons, citrus 300000 tons, onion 175000 tons and peanut about 10000 tons.Mubarak’s Graduates Land Ownership Program adds a social dimension to the agricultural development. About 66000 graduates now own 227000 feddans in 121 new villages in the new lands. A new productive communitemerging as a practical solution to unemployment among young men and women.The annual growth rate of agricultural production has increased from 3.4% to 3.8% during the 4th Five Year Plan. The target is to achieve 4.1% by 2017 through horizontal and vertical expansion and optimizatioresource allocation and use.Implementation of national mega projects including, but not limited to, Toshka, Sinai and Western Nubaria.Securing Food requirements (strategic stock) at both national and household levels.Development of human capital in the Egyptian agriculture through continual training and creating new jobs in the agricultural and rural sectors.Supplying the strategic textile and food industries with raw materials.Focusing on integrated rural development with a view to improve the livelihood of peasants and increase their ability to participate in development.
Policies to achieve the set objectives:
Within the State’s overall socio-economic goals, MALR has always been instrumental in formulating and implementing sector policies for promoting and up-grading the Egyptian agriculture, based on:
Efficient resource allocation and use, within the framework of an environmentally-friendly, sustainable agricultural development.Livestock and poultry development, based on linkages with the other agricultural production systems including indicative, location-specific cropping patterns.Increasing fish production to raise the per capita consumption to 14 kilograms per annum, through the development of in-land lakes and fish farming.Providing foundation seeds of high quality varieties and hybrids; and supervising the multiplication of registered and certified seeds to ensure varietal purity and stability.Rationalizing the use of agro-chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and promoting biological control within an IPM strategy. In this endeavor, complete agricultural zones, including the new southern valley, wildedicated to organic agriculture.Maximizing the comparative advantage in promoting the agricultural exports and improving product quality to increase competitiveness under WTO rules and regulations, Egypt-EU and Egypt-US Partnership Agreements, COAgreement and greater-Arab Free Trade Zone.Supporting scientific research agencies, especially in the field of biotechnology. Likewise, agricultural extension, credit, marketing organizations, cooperatives, rural NGOs, women’s role in rural developmentbeing enhanced to promote private sector-led economic growth.Encouraging private domestic, Arab and foreign direct investment in agriculture to facilitate technology transfer.Expanding Egypt’s land resource base by 3.4 million feddans over the coming two decades. In the meantime soil amelioration, sub-soiling, laser leveling and tile drainage projects are being expanded to improve fertility and optimize irrigation water use.Developing agricultural extension programs and building stronger linkages with agricultural research and technology transfer. Extension activities are being expanded to cover marketing, gender, population cultnatural resource base maintenance and nutritional aspects.Building and up-dating MALR’s data base, being accessed by producers, exporters, researchers and other stakeholders.Supporting the Agricultural Crops’ Price Stabilization Fund under the free-market price system. Optional procurement prices are announced for the strategic crops and the cotton stabilization fund is supported in oto keep cotton growers in business so as to meet the demand of domestic and foreign spinners and to protect cotton growers against probable price fluctuations.Increasing edible oil production by expanding the acreage of oil crops (sunflower, soya beans and canola) and setting lucrative optional delivery prices to promote oil crop production.Developing fresh produce production from the existing area and improving the efficiency of the related marketing, exporting and processing operations. This implies encouraging private investment in packing housescold chain infrastructure. It also implies the establishment of a Fresh Produce Spot Exchange Market for the benefit of all the stakeholders.Promoting sustainable agricultural development in the new lands, through optimization of resource allocation and use and creation of new jobs in these new communities.Developing PBDAC’s credit policies to incorporate rural projects besides agricultural activities; and promoting saving awareness in rural Egypt.
