Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar said that there is great coordination between the Ministries of Industry, Agriculture, and Public Enterprise Sector to develop the textile industry in Egypt. During a meeting with members of the Supreme Council of Textile Industries, the minister added that this industry represents one of the top five industries in focus of the ministry to develop industry and foreign trade through 2020. The meeting discussed the importance of textile industries in the Egyptian economy, where this sector contributes 3% of GDP and 27% of industry output. The sector also accounts for 12% of total Egyptian exports. The minister pointed out that the government gives great importance to the textile industry as a vital industry, in which Egypt has significant competitive advantages, which enable it to increase the rate of exports and provide employment opportunities for youth. Nassar added that the meeting reviewed the comprehensive plan of action developed by the council for the development of the textile industry sector, which is based on a description of the actual reality of this industry and the most important opportunities and challenges that affect the growth of all textile industries. Minister of Public Enterprise Sector Hesham Tawfik had met Nassar twice since they assumed office, to discuss joint cooperation and development of the textile industry. Mohammed Abdel Majeed, undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and chairperson of the Board of Cotton, Fibre, and Oil Crops, said that the Ministry of Agriculture is keen to provide all its potential to develop the cotton system and thus contribute to meet the needs of the textile sector in Egypt. He added that the ministry was keen this year to increase the cultivated areas of cotton, which amounted to 336,000 feddans (1 feddan = 1.038 acres), in addition to boosting productivity to 8 kentars (1 kentar = 50 kg) per feddan. Nabil Al-Santaricy, head of the Cotton Exporters Association, signalled the importance of expanding in mechanised farming of medium-staple cotton, especially in large areas in Upper Egypt, in order to provide for the needs of the local industry, given that manufacturing cotton increases added value and revenue from exporting.
