Egypt agriculture poised for growth

There are two mains segments to agriculture in Egypt. The larger agribusiness operations growing produce on a large scale for export, domestic consumption or other usages. Still, the smaller traditional family farms account for 80% of the cultivated land in the country.

The traditional farms grow food for family usage and also target the nearby local markets. The majority of the smaller farms follow the course of the Nile, using the rich alluvial deposits left by the river during flood season each year.

The larger segment was created in the late 60s and 70s and these farms cover and area of up several thousand hectares and are dedicated either to production for exports, particularly of fruit, potatoes and onions, or to the industrial sector producing crops such as sugar beet, according to Daniel Leroux, CEO of KADCO, a company involved in the large agricultural development segment to supply produce for the domestic market and for export.

"We are opting for more mechanized agriculture instead of growing more fruit and vegetables as we used to do (which is labor intensive), due to the difficulties in sourcing labor."