National needs of fertilizers covered by 70%

CAIRO - 25 January 2020: Local needs of fertilizers have been covered by 70 percent as seven companies supplied portions of their production to agricultural associations selling urea and nitrate bags at LE164.5 and LE159.5, respectively.

Head of Agricultural Services and Follow-up Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Abbas El Shenawy told Egypt Today that different committees are monitoring the process tracking fertilizers from the factory until they reach users.

Securing fertilizers is an integral duty of the ministry to inhibit shortages in crops and enhance exports. In December, the ministry declared that around 101,000 tons of potato seeds arrived in seaports and that samples are being tested.

The ministry clarified that the total amount of potato seeds expected to arrive for this season is 183,000 tons. Potato is cultivated in Egypt in three seasons. The crop is cultivated for the summer season between December and the end of February using seeds imported from the European Union.

The winter season is the initial one whereas the crop is grown over October and November, preceded by the Nile Flood season extending over late August and September. In both seasons local seeds are used.

Fruit and Vegetables exports rose by 200,140 tons in 2019 compared to 2018 to record 5,235,140 tons from 5.35 million, the Central Department of Agricultural Quarantine at the Ministry of Agriculture announced in the same month.

The crops exported included citrus fruits, potato, onion, grapes, grenade, garlic, mango, strawberry, green beans, guava, cucumber, bell pepper, and aubergine.