After 8 lean years, Egypt succeeded in implementing strategies to reduce the gap between wheat production and consumption, as the government was able to gain the confidence of the Egyptian farmer in planting and supplying the wheat he harvested to the state.
Egypt is making great efforts to achieve integrated agricultural development within the framework of its efforts to maintain food security, especially from strategic crops, particularly wheat, as it continues efforts to reduce the gap between production and consumption, through a number of measures aimed at supporting the farmer and providing many incentives to supply wheat. In addition to cultivating high-yielding varieties, in addition to expanding silos to increase storage capacities and reduce waste, which contributes to securing the strategic stock of wheat in light of the crises the world is witnessing that have negatively affected supply and supply operations, in addition to the country’s tendency towards achieving strategic goals. Sustainable agricultural development within Egypt’s Vision 2030, which prompted international institutions to praise Egypt’s efforts in implementing its strategy to support wheat cultivation.
In this regard, the Egyptian Cabinet’s Media Center published a report within the series “Where We Were and How We Have Become”, which included infographics highlighting efforts to cultivate, store, import and support wheat, and the efforts of the new republic on the path to achieving self-sufficiency in it, after eight years of implementing strategies to reduce the gap between production and consumption.
The report highlighted the positive international vision of Egypt’s efforts in managing the wheat system, as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicated that Egypt aims to raise the level of sufficiency in wheat by increasing the cultivated area, using advanced agricultural methods, as well as reducing wheat levels. growling.
For its part, the Fitch Ratings Agency stated that Egypt has adopted a strategy to double the area of land cultivated with wheat, to increase self-sufficiency in it, while adopting modern technologies to enhance productivity and reduce water use. The agency also expected an increase in wheat productivity in 2022/2023, as a result of efforts Egypt to stimulate domestic production, which it announced in March 2022, noting that it has made progress in diversifying its import base of wheat.
In turn, Standard & Poor’s expected a decrease in Egypt’s wheat imports during the current fiscal year as a result of policies aimed at increasing the availability of wheat.
The report showed the state’s efforts to support the wheat crop for the 2022/2023 season, which includes the development of new high-yielding and early-ripening varieties that are tolerant of climate changes and disease-resistant, in addition to increasing the approved seeds to 70% for the 2023 season, and a target of 100% for the 2024 season with a surplus for export, as well as the distribution of varieties. On the regions according to climatic conditions and the nature of the soil to improve productivity.
The state’s efforts in this regard also include, according to the report, the expansion of the establishment of demonstration fields in the most wheat-growing areas, in addition to providing control services for the most important diseases (yellow rust) and mechanization services for planting on terraces and other advanced agricultural practices, and announcing the price well in advance of planting. Suitable for about two months.
This comes among the national initiatives implemented by the state, the national campaign to advance the wheat crop, and the sow initiative of the National Alliance for Civil Development Action, which targeted 150,000 feddans for about 100,000 small farmers in 8 governorates, in addition to granting about EGP 2.5 billion in soft bank financing. 5% interest for wheat for 114 thousand farmers.
And as a continuation of the review of the state’s efforts to support the wheat season 2022/2023, a guarantee price was approved with moving it in proportion to the market, 1000, then 1250, then 1500 pounds/irdib, as well as the expansion of agricultural mechanization to reduce losses and serve small farmers, with the allocation of collection points nationwide. To receive wheat close to the farms to ease the hardship of supply, and raise the efficiency of the silos and storage system, which reduced waste, in addition to issuing directives to deliver a quantity of wheat to the supplier and also to small livestock breeders at the rate of 10 kg per ardeb, which is supplied at a price of 8000 pounds per ton.
The report highlighted the decline in wheat imports by 39.5% thanks to the good management of the wheat system in light of the large population increase driven by the increase in local production, indicating that the volume of domestic production of wheat in 2022 amounted to 10 million tons, while imports amounted to 9.02 million tons, with the number of The population is 102.9 million.
The report monitored incentives to increase wheat supplies and efforts to organize supply operations in 2022/2023, as the state’s incentives to encourage farmers to supply wheat for the 2023 season included allocating 45 billion pounds to buy local wheat from farmers in this year’s season, with an increase of more than 19 billion pounds over last year. While the wheat supply price was increased by 257.1% for the 2023 season, compared to the 2014 season, to reach 1,500 pounds per ardeb in the 2023 season, 820 pounds per ardeb in the 2022 season, and 420 pounds per ardeb in 2014.
The report highlighted the improvement of wheat indicators, as Egypt’s wheat production increased by 8%, to reach 10 million tons in 2023, compared to 9.26 million tons in 2014, in addition to a decrease in wheat imports by 39.5%, to reach 9.02 million tons in 2022, compared to 14.9 million. tons in 2014.
The Peasants’ Syndicate comments to RT
Hussein Abdul Rahman Abu Saddam, head of the General Syndicate of Farmers, said that about 2 million and 200 thousand tons of wheat farmers have been supplied to the government, and the process of supplying wheat continues until next August, pointing out that the Sharkia governorate ranks first in terms of wheat supply to the government, as it has received so far what More than 400,000 tons, while the largest amount of wheat in Upper Egypt was supplied from Minya Governorate, where wheat farmers in Minya have supplied the government with more than 200,000 tons so far.
Abu Saddam added that the local stock of local wheat, along with the quantities of imported wheat, will suffice the local needs until the end of the year, noting that a rewarding guarantee price was put in place before planting the wheat, which had the greatest impact on increasing its cultivation areas. At a price of 1500 pounds, which was a main reason for increasing the supply of wheat, in addition to many facilities and incentives that encouraged farmers to increase the supply rates.
According to him, the wheat farmer receives 10 kilos of his refund at a lower price than the free market for every 150 kilos of wheat he supplies to the government, and the government has set more than 430 points to collect wheat near the production places to reduce the burden of transportation on farmers, in addition to the speedy payment of farmers’ dues electronically within 48 hours. an hour at most.
Abdel Rahman stressed that the government aims to receive 4 million tons from farmers, and has received more than 50% so far, stressing that the newly reclaimed lands east of Owainat, Toshka, the New Delta and other regions contribute to increasing wheat production, which helps reduce the depletion of hard currency as a result of importing wheat.
This article was originally published by RT.