Egypt saves $ 2B in cotton imports

Egypt has made significant progress in cultivating short staple cotton, especially after successfully localizing it in the Eastern Owaynat region over the past four years.

With a productivity approaching global standards, this type of cotton represents 98.5% of the world's cotton trading and industry, alongside long staple cotton, in which Egypt also excels, alongside American Pima cotton.

The Ministry of Public Business Sector, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Service Projects Organization, will begin cultivating short staple cotton in the Eastern Owaynat region next Wednesday on an area of ​​about 4,000 acres, representing four times the area planted last season.

Sources revealed that the cultivation will commence with seeds remaining from last season's crops, under the supervision of cotton cultivation expert Dr. Said Abdel Tawab. This coincides with the arrival of imported seeds on Wednesday, May 15th. The land has been prepared for cultivation, especially after the end of the wind and dust storms, which negatively impact cotton.

Expanding the cultivation of this type of cotton is crucial for providing raw materials to national factories instead of importing them, saving nearly $2 billion annually.

Moreover, it provides thousands of seasonal job opportunities and hundreds of permanent ones. It also allows for the utilization of new areas in Eastern Owaynat and Tushka, with the potential to expand cultivation to 600,000 acres annually.

Dr. Ahmed Shaker, CEO of the Holding Company for Cotton, Spinning, Weaving, and Garments, stated that there is a drive to expand the cultivation of short staple cotton, whether in the Eastern Owaynat or Tushka regions, especially after the success of last season's crops. This is in line with the urgent need for this type of cotton to supply local factories instead of importing it, according to the directives of Dr. Mahmoud Essmat, Minister of the Public Business Sector.