Egypt aims to cultivate more than 750K feddans of oil plants to provide oils locally

CAIRO - 7 February 2023: Egypt aims to grow more than 750,000 feddans of oily plants during 2024, to reduce oil imports and rely on local alternatives, according to a statement issued by the Cabinet on Monday.

 

“We aim to reach 500,000 feddans in the cotton-cultivated area next year, because of its high percentage of oils, as the cotton-cultivated area this year amounted to 320,000 feddans,” according to what was confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Al-Sayed el-Quseir.

 

The government is looking to expand the production of oil locally by increasing the cultivation of oil crops, by providing the required seeds, as well as encouraging contract farming with the aim of providing products to citizens.

 

“About 100,000 feddans of corn will be cultivated in 2023, and this area will increase to 500,000 feddans next year, and 90,000 feddans of sunflower will be cultivated in 2023, and it is scheduled to increase to 250,000 feddans next year,” the Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouli said.

 

The oil industry in Egypt relies on importing about 96 percent of the oils used in production, and the 4 percent is provided locally, as the number of companies producing oils in Egypt is 40 factories.

 

The Minister of Agriculture said that the government is working to encourage farmers to increase the cultivation of soybeans, which amounted to 150 feddans in 2023, especially as it achieves an important benefit in providing fodder.

 

“There is continuous coordination with the Minister of Agriculture regarding encouraging farmers to grow targeted strategic crops through contract farming, and commodity prices are currently linked through the commodity exchange, which also represents an incentive to encourage farmers,” Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, Ali Al-Moselhi said.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture has drawn up a plan to meet the needs of the feed mills to keep the factories operating at the targeted production capacity,el-Quseir said, adding that coordination is under way with the officials of the “Egypt’s Future” project, both in the development of distinct varieties and in the cultivation of targeted crops.