Sugarcane Production in Egypt:
Synthesis of Previous Research
findings
Bahgat M. Abdel-Maksoud
Professor of Agricultural Extension
Faculty of Agriculture, Assuit
University, Egypt
This paper depends mainly on findings of
some previous research as well as
information gathered recently through
personal meetings and interviews with
some researchers, extension personnel,
and farmers.
Previous Research Papers
• Abdel – Maksoud, Bahgat M. & Amro B. A.
• Elshrabassee ( 2007 )
•
Production and Marketing Problems For
•
Sugar Cane Growers in Qena Governorate ,
•
The Eighth African Crop Science Conference.
•
This paper was also published in: Journal
•
of Life Sciences, Volume 5, Number 10, 2011
• Abdel-Maksoud, Bahgat M. (2008a)
Assessment of Problems Facing Sugar
Cane Growers in Qena Governorate,
Egypt, The Third International Sugar
Conference IS-2008, Sina University, AlArish, Egypt, 11 – 14 September
• Abdel-Maksoud, Bahgat M. (2008b)
Essentials For Improving Sugar Cane
Productivity in Egypt With Special
Reference To Qena Governorate, The
Third International Sugar Conference IS-
2008, Sina University, Al-Arish, Egypt, 11
– 14 September
• Abdel-Maksoud, Bahgat M. and Ez- Eldin E.
• M. Gad-El-Kareim (2011)
Farmers’ Perception of Sugarcane
Production and Marketing Problems in
Qena and Asswan Governorates, Egypt,
Nature And Science Journal, Vol. 9, No.
5: 155-162.
• Gad-El-Kareim, Ez-Eldin E. M. (2011)
Assessment of Extension Needs for
sugarcane Growers in Qena and
Asswan Governorates, Ph. D. thesis,
Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University,
Egypt
• Keith, John; S. Hussein; E. Mahdy (1998),
•
'EGYPT‘s SUGARCANE POLICY AND
•
STRATEGY FOR WATER MANAGEMENT,
•
Reform Design and Implementation
•
Unit, APRP - RDI Unit, USAlD
•
CONTRACT No. 263-C-00-97 -00005-
•
00, Report No. 33.
• Alboghdady, M. A. (2010)
•
Water Scarcity and Food Security: The
•
Role of Virtual Water Flows in Cereals
•
trade in the North African Countries,
•
Journal of Agricultural Economics and
•
Social Sciences,1(5).
• Hoekstra, A. Y.; Chapagain, A. K.; Aldaya,
• M. M.; & Mekonnen, M. M. (2011),
•
The Water Footprint Assessment
•
Manual, Setting the Global Standard,
•
Eartscan Publishin for Sustainable
•
Future, London, Washington DC. ,
•
Available At:
•
http://www.waterfootprint.org/down
•
loads/TheWaterFootprintAssessment
•
Manual.pdf
• Ministry of Agriculture and Land
• Reclamation (2012)
•
Sugar Crops and Sugar Production in
•
Egypt, Sugar Crop Council.
• Virtual Water – Wikipedia, the free
• encyclopedia (2012),
•
Virtual Water, Available at:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VirtualWater
• Water Footprints and Virtual Water (2012)
•
The Concepts of Water Footprint and
•
Virtual Water, Available at:
•
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/footPrints
•
/waTer-footprint.htm
• Water Wiki.net (2012), Virtual Water,
•
Available at: http://waterwiki.net/
•
idex. php/Virtualwater
The paper is divided into four sections:
1. Basic information on sugarcane and its
producing regions in Egypt
2. Essentials for improving agricultural
productivity of sugarcane.
3. Irrigation water issue.
4. Role of agricultural research and extension.
• Section 1
•
Basic information on sugarcane
•
and Its producing regions in Egypt
Area
Governo
Productio Product % of
rate
(Faddan)
n
ivity
Area
(Ton)
(Ton/Fad)
% of
producti
on
Menia
38757
1903162
49.11
12.5
12.4
Sohag
15663
790355
50.46
5.0
5.1
Qena
114247
5659796
49.54
36.7
36.8
Luxor
62190
3085308
49.61
20.0
20.0
Aswan
80143
3959385
49.40
25.8
25.7
Total
311000
15398006
49.51
100.0
100.0
• Section 2
• Essentials for improving
• agricultural productivity of
• sugarcane
In order to increase agricultural
productivity of sugarcane in Egypt,
There must exist (Figure 1):
• An effective research system
• An effective extension system
• Effective systems for supply, credit,
marketing, and governance.
Effective
systems for :
• Research
• Extension
•
•
•
•
Marketing.
Supply
Credit.
Transportati
on
• Governance
Provision of
necessary
extension
education to
Farmers on :
(1) New
Technology
(2) Wrong
Practices
(3) Solutions
for
Problems
Increase
agricultural
Productivity
and Achieve
Agricultural
Development
• Fig. (1) : Essentials For Improving Agricultural
• Productivity and Achieving Agric. Development
Next, we present some research findings on:
1. Farmers’ adoption of recommended farm
practices for sugarcane production,
2. Examples of wrong practices adopted by
farmers, and
3. Production and marketing problems for
sugarcane growers in Qena and Aswan
governorates.
Data collection techniques
• 1. Personal meetings and interviews
•
with researchers, extension
•
personnel, and farmers,
• 2. Questionnaire, and
• 3. Focus groups
• First
• Adoption of recommended
• practices
• New ideas raised and discussed
• last night.
• Many recommended practices
• included in previous research.
• Examples of these are:
Recommended Practices
% of
NonAdopters
1. Unifying crop type
77.5
2. Deep ploughing
82.4
3. Laser levelling
74.4
4. Addition of gypsum
5. Ploughing after adding
gypsum
90.5
90.8
Recommended Practices
% of
NonAdopters
6. Furrowing rate (7furrows/2 k)
69.8
7. Hot water treatment for seeds
100.0
8. First irrigation after 3-5 days
74.0
9. Developed surface irrigation.
100.0
10. Potassium fertilisation
83.6
Recommended Practices
% of
NonAdopters
11. Collecting cane tops
12. Spraying the covered
product with water
98.9
13. Weed control
86.6
14. Disease control
73.7
15. Spraying of malathion
83.6
94.7
• Reasons for non-adoption of
Recommended Practices
Recommended
Reasons
Practices
(1) differences in crops grown
1. Unifying crop
type
(2) agricultural liberalisation
(3) weak relation between
farmers and the cooperative
(1) non-availability of mechanization
2. Deep ploughing
(2) the soil improvement agency
does not provide this service
Recommended
Practices
3. Laser
levelling
Reasons
(1) high cost
(2) non-availability of
machinery
(3) the agricultural
agencies of
engineering, research,
soil improvement, and
mechanization do not
implement laser
Recommended
Practices
4. Addition of
gypsum &
5. Ploughing
after addition
Reasons
(1)non-availability of
gypsum
(2) good quality of soil
(3) lack of knowledge of
farmers about gypsum
6. Furrowing
(1) small size of land
rate for
(2) non-availability of proper
spring
variety
cultivation
(3) non-availability of
(7furrows/2k)
equipment
Recommended
Practices
Reasons
(1) never heard of it
7. Hot water
(2) high cost
treatment
(3) lack of experience
for seeds
(4) it needs much time
(5) lack of trained labour
8. First irrigation (1) wet soil
after 3-5 days (2) heavy soil
from planting.
Recommended
Practices
9. Developed
surface irrigation
10. Potassium
fertilisation
Reasons
(1) high cost
(2) non-availability
(1) high prices
(2) shortage of
fertilisers
11. Collecting cane
(1) small quantity of
tops and transfer
cane tops
them to the factory (2) high cost
Recommended
Practices
Reasons
12. Spraying the
(1) we implement
covered product
instructions of the
with water
sugar factory
(2) high cost
13. Weed control
(1) small size of land
(2) we eliminate weeds
manually
(3) we need weeds
Recommended
Practices
14. Disease and
Reasons
(1) high cost
insects control (2) lack of solar
15. Spraying of
malathion
(1) we spray if
infected
• Second
• Wrong practices adopted by
• farmers
• Selecting poor variety
• Non adoption of laser levelling
• Improper furrowing
• Over irrigation
• Unbalanced fertilization
• Non-controlling of weeds
• Non-controlling of insects & diseases
• Pre-harvest irrigation
• Incorrect cutting
• Late cutting
• Non-cleaning of product.
• Delay of transportation and delivery to
• the factory.
• Third
• Production and marketing
• problems
Problems
%
Production problems:
1. Shortage and high costs of
fertilizers
97.3
2. Shortage and high costs of
labour
3. Differences in planting dates
98.5
4. Non-growing in aggregates
64.1
76.7
Problems
%
5. Non-adoption of soil assessment
65.3
6. Non-adoption of subsoil
ploughing
7. Non-adoption of levelling by
laser
8. Non-adoption of recommended
furrowing
9. Differences in crop rotation
82.4
84.7
74.0
66.4
Problems
10. Non-availability of new
varieties
%
79.0
11. late planting
80.9
12. Shortage of irrigation water
90.1
13. High costs of irrigation
14. High costs of petroleum
Products
15. Over application of nitrate
88.2
76.3
83.6
Problems
16. Non-availability of phosphate
fertilizers
%
80.9
17. Spread of insects & diseases
93.9
18. Spread of weeds
95.4
19. Over irrigation
66.8
20. Non-cleaning of irrigation
and drainage canals
85.5
Problems
%
21. Small and fragmented holdings
74.0
22. Non-availability of harvesting mach.
73.7
23. Low productivity of C9 variety
85.1
24. Non-availability of calcium sulphate
76.0
25. Shortage of insecticides
92.7
26. Weak extension services
93.1
27. Spread of mice
96.9
Problems
%
Marketing problems:
28. Shortage and high wages of labour
98.5
29. Shortage of and irregular transportation
88.2
30. High costs of transportation
89.7
31. Frequent accidents by tractors
58.4
32. Unsystematic cutting
78.6
33. High costs of cutting
97.3
Problems
%
34. Delay of cutting
83.2
35. Long period of cutting
76.0
36. Long period of non-irrigation of crop
75.2
37. Low price of product
97.3
38. Steal of product during transportation
80.2
39. Inaccuracy of weigh
97.7
40. Long distance from factory
91.2
Problems
%
41. The contract is controlled by the company
82.4
42. Delay of getting the value of product
87.0
43. High interest rate of loans
75.2
44. High added expenses to loans
72.1
45. High ratio of defects
87.0
46. Misuse of discounts from the value of
77.1
product.
• Section 3
• Irrigation water issue
A. Water scarcity in Egypt and
proposed policy options
• In mid nineties. The Agricultural Policy
• Reform Program through its Reform,
• Design & Implementation Unit (RDI)
• formed a sugarcaneWorking Group
• including experts from:
• the Central Administration for Water
• Distribution, the Sugar Crops Research
• Institute, the Agriculture Engineering
• Research Institute, and others, to
• Review policy issues related to water
• scarcity and sugarcane plantation in
• Egypt.
• The group conducted a study and
• Prepared A report (Keith, et. al., 1998).
• They Proposed three options which
• could lead to the optimal use of water
• in sugarcane plantations. These are:
• Policy Option (1):
• Limit the sugarcane cultivated through the
• following actions:
• Restrict the cultivation of sugarcane;
• Reduce the sugarcane areas in accordance
• With any increase of productivity per fed.;
• Initiate public awareness campaign
• Concerning High water consuming crops.
• Policy Option (2):
• Improving on-farm water efficiency and
• Sugarcane productivity through:
• • Improved irrigation techniques (gated pipes)
• • Enhance research programs to improve
•
productivity
• • Design and implement a pilot area to apply
•
improved irrigation methods and laser land
•
leveling.
• Policy Option (3): Importing sugar
• This option includes:
• • The local consumption of sugar could be
•
supplemented by imports. This could reduce
•
cane areas.
• • Water saving will depend on how much sugar
•
is imported.
• • Expansion of sugar production should be
•
through sugar beat cultivation.
B. Virtual water
• The water used in the production process
• of an agricultural or industrial product. For
• producing:
• 1 kg of grain we need 1000–2000 kg of
• water (1–2 m3),
• 1 kg of cheese we need 5000–5500 kg of W.
• 1 kg of beef we need 16000 g of water
Virtual Water Trade:
• The concept of virtual water has been
• introduced in the early nineties. It can be
• applied to save water at world or regional
• level if water rich countries can produce
• And export water intensive products to
• poor water Countries. Virtual water may
• be called exogenous water.
• There are two different approaches to
• quantify virtual water:
• Virtual water content = volume of water
• That was in reality used to produce the
• product.
• Virtual water content = amount of water
• that would have been required to produce
• the product at the place where it is needed
• If the product can’t be produced in the
• country, water footprint can be a strong
• Tool to show people their impact on
• Natural resources.
• Limitations of the virtual water measure
C. Water footprint
• The water footprint shows the extent of
• Water Use in relation to consumption of
• people. The Water footprint of a country
• is defined as the volume of water needed
• for the production of the goods and
• services consumed by its inhabitants.
• The internal water footprint is the volume
• of Water used from domestic water
• resources.
• The external water footprint is the volume
• Of Water used in other countries to
• Produce goods and services imported and
• consumed by the inhabitants of the
• Country
• A water footprint can be calculated for
• any well-defined group of consumers
• (e.g., an individual, family, village, city,
• province, state or nation) or producers
• (e.g., a public organization, private
• enterprise or economic sector).
• The water footprint concept was
• introduced in 2002 by Arjen Y. Hoekstra
• The concept was refined and accounting
• methods were established with a series
• of publications from two lead authors
• A.K. Chapagain and A.Y. Hoekstra
• A water footprint consists of three
• components: blue, green, and grey:
• The blue water footprint is the volume of
• fresh water that evaporated from the
• global blue water resources (surface
• water and ground water) to produce the
• goods and services consumed by the
• individual or community.
• The green water footprint is the volume
• of water evaporated from the global
• green water resources (rainwater stored
• in the soil as soil moisture).
• The grey water footprint is the volume of
• polluted water that associates with the
• production of all goods and services for the
• individual or community. The latter can be
• estimated as the volume of water that is
• required to dilute pollutants to such an
• Extent that the quality of the water remains
• at or above agreed water quality standards.
Fourth: Role of research and
Extension
• In order to increase the productivity of
• sugar cane in the country, a great role
• should be played by the research centres
• to develop more innovations.
• A great role also lies on the agricultural
• system to identify:
• (1) New technologies
• (2) Wrong practices
• (3) Problems facing farmers in each
• producing area, and provide farmers
• with necessary extension education to:
• change wrong practices and adopt
• recommended practices in order to
• improve the productivity of sugar
• cane n Egypt
Thank You