|
|
|
| The
sector of Fruit and Vegetable
production plays a major
role in the Egyptian agriculture.
They represent 13 % and
11 % , consequently, of
the total value of the
Egyptian agricultural
production |
| |
The
Fruit And Vegetable
in Egypt By 1000
Tons |
| Product |
1998 |
2002 |
| Tomato |
5.753 |
6.778 |
| Potato |
1.984 |
1.923 |
| Watermelon |
1.409 |
1.721 |
| Dates |
840 |
1.113 |
| Grapes |
958 |
1.104 |
| Banana |
656 |
849 |
| Egg
Fruit |
560 |
827 |
| Onions |
723 |
755 |
| Galiamelon |
467 |
738 |
| Cabbage |
526 |
557 |
| Squash |
616 |
545 |
| Cucumber |
258 |
538 |
| Apple |
388 |
484 |
| Grean
peas |
159 |
352 |
| Mango |
223 |
326 |
| Olive |
200 |
318 |
| Garlic |
174 |
272 |
| Peach |
430 |
257 |
| Green
Beans |
179 |
234 |
| Sweet
potato |
226 |
232 |
| lettuce |
166 |
143 |
| Carrot |
129 |
112 |
| Cauliflower |
115 |
110 |
| Apricot |
45 |
71 |
| Artishoke |
40 |
61 |
| Strawberry |
52 |
60 |
| spinach |
49 |
44 |
| Pears |
41 |
42 |
|
|
|
|
|
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
Egypt
is the gift of the Nile. The
Nile is the longest single
river and the second longest
continuous waterway in the
world. From time immemorial
the Nile flooded its valley
annually. Crops were grown
on the mud flats left by the
water as it subsided and,
at a very early period, a
system of basin irrigation
was developed. Cereals (barley,
wheat and sorghum), legumes
(faba bean, lentil and chick-pea),
flax, berseem clover and onion
were cultivated for thousands
of years.
This remarkable river has exercised
a unique influence on the history
of civilization. The necessity
of controlling its course and
utilizing its water taught the
ancient Egyptians the art of
river engineering and the sciences
of land-surveying, agronomy
and astronomy. The Pharaohs
created unique systems to survey
and categorize fertility levels
of soils, and invented methods
of irrigation. The Nile influenced
the foundation of social, legal
and political order.
Since
the days of Mohammed Ali in
the 19th century, when cotton-growing
was developed in the Delta,
a great change in Egyptian
agriculture has taken place.
Several large projects including
the Delta barrage and dams
in Upper Egypt ( 1835 - 1909
) were constructed in order
to render perennial irrigation
possible. The first school
of agriculture was established
in 1869 and the first directorate
of agriculture in 1875. This
impetus resulted in the increase
of cultivated land to more
than 5 million feddans by
the end of the 19th century.
During the
19th century, agricultural
research was carried out by
the Egyptian Agricultural
Royal Society, and as early
as 1897 a number of experimental
farms were established at
various localities. In 1910
the Department of Agriculture
was established under the
Ministry of Public Works.
Concern was given to researching
cotton breeding, fertilization
and water requirements, and
to producing and distributing
certified seed. The horticultural
section focused on citrus
reproduction and control of
pests.
A royal decree
established the Ministry of
Agriculture in 1913 and His
Excellency Mohammed Said Pasha
was the first Egyptian Minister
of Agriculture. Its headquarters
moved in 1931 to the historic
Dokki building, where the
Ministry is still housed.
Among the first departments
established were Plant Breeding,
Horticulture, Chemistry, Entomology,
Agricultural Education, Veterinary
Medicine and Agricultural
Inspection. Ministerial offices
opened in various regions
of the country. The Ministry
has gone through several dramatic
reforms in the past decades.
It has grown from only 7 major
departments in 1913, and 28
in 1950 to 194 In 1963. Ninety
two of these dealt with various
aspects of agricultural production.
Among the major departments
were Agriculture, Horticulture,
Plant Protection, Soil, Animal
Production, Veterinary Laboratories
and Seed Production. |
