Egypt seeks to produce cotton that resists drought better
In an Oct. 6 meeting in Cairo, Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture, El-Seyed el-Quseir, discussed future possibilities with the Uzbek Minister of Innovative Development and Chairman of the Cotton Council, Ibrahim Abdurahmanov. The meeting comes as Egypt prepares to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh in November.
According to a statement published by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, Quseir said that Egypt has abundant production of long-staple cotton varieties, for which global demand is increasing.
Sky News Arabia reported in September 2021 that Egypt set a record in cotton exports in 2021, by selling 1.8 million kantars of cotton (178 million pounds) to 28 countries at a value of 4 billion Egyptian pounds (about $206 million), which revived hopes that the country would regain its cotton production glory.
Adel Abdel Azim, deputy head of the Agricultural Research Center and head of the Egyptian Cotton Improvement Fund, told Al-Monitor that Uzbekistan's cotton production has advanced in recent years, and cooperation benefits both countries. The two nations are currently "working to locally produce cotton varieties that are resistant to drought and unfavorable climatic conditions, including high temperatures.”
Abdel Azim added, “It is crucial to produce cotton varieties that are resistant to drought and salinity in Egypt, especially with the water crisis that affects us and other countries.”
Mohamed Ghanem, spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, revealed in a TV interview in August that Egypt suffers from a water deficit of 54 billion cubic meters annually. He added that the water crisis has worsened amid the stalled negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
"In Egypt, we need to take advantage of every drop of water in light of the water crisis we are facing," Abdel Azim said. "This is why producing drought-resistant varieties is one of the factors that would enable the Egyptian agricultural policy to save large amounts of water.”
Magdy Allam, an adviser to the World Climate Program and secretary general of the Union of Arab Environmental Experts, told Al-Monitor, “Cotton is considered one of the crops that is more tolerant of unfavorable conditions and climatic changes compared to other crops, such as wheat or mango, for example. However, it is important to develop new varieties that achieve greater productivity in these conditions.”
He added, “Cotton cultivation has a long history in Egypt, but we were forced to buy seeds that can withstand heat and drought at high prices during the recent period. Cooperation with Uzbekistan is very important in this regard to increase Egypt's cotton productivity.”
