CAIRO - For decades, Egypt supplied many countries like England with cotton and wheat, while England supplied Egypt with manufactured goods. But now, Egypt needs to import cotton and wheat from other countries, as this sector is suffering problems in many governorates in the country. Many Egyptian manufacturers wonder how Egypt could have turned from being a big cotton exporter into a country that imports this fibre from other countries. “Egyptian factories are in crisis, forcing Egypt to import cotton in large quantities from countries like Germany, Russia, and Pakistan,” says Abdel-Azim Tantawi, the former head of Agricultural Research Centre. He adds that the Egyptian factories must depend on high-quality Egyptian cotton, not imported cotton, if this industry is going to survive here. “The Ministry of Agriculture must give Egyptian farmers modern machinery for irrigating their land properly, for agriculture to pick up in Egypt again. “Another big problem is that the seeds and fertilisers used for cultivating cotton and wheat too have become very expensive, driving many farmers to find alternative employment,” he adds. “Cotton farmers often get the seeds, fertilisers and pesticides very late in the season. So sometimes they just sell them, rather than planting any cotton. ”Besides, cotton doesn't grow well in the cold weather, while a young cotton crop may suffer from flooding, worms, insects and drought. “If the cotton crop is planted later than usual, when the weather turns cool, it slows the growth of the cotton. This is something we must also consider,” he ends. “Egyptian cotton is still in high demand, because of the country's large population, so we must upgrade this industry,” says Ahmed Younis, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture in el-Sharqiya Governorate, adding that the farmers are now shifting more towards quality rather than quantity. “Egyptians like to buy clothes made from Egyptian cotton because of the high quality. The cotton produced in Egypt is very versatile, creating a constant demand, so we should take care of it.” Younis adds that el-Sharqiya Governorate used to be famous for its cotton, but now its farmers are finding other ways of making a living. “There are a number of reasons for this: firstly, specialists have stopped inspecting the cotton farms; secondly, the high price of pesticides and fertilisers; thirdly, lack of financial support from the Government; and fourthly, the workers are demanding high wages these days. “Farmers need to use new planting and irrigation methods, as well as the best seeds. We need to protect the cotton crop from worms. “We should promote organic farming methods, such as using natural fertilisers, like compost and manure, that recycle the nitrogen already in the soil, rather than adding more,” he suggests. “People need to realise the importance of the cotton industry to Egypt,” says Mohamed Alaa Eddin Moussa, a director in the Agricultural Directorate in el-Qaliubiya Governorate. “One of the big problems is that it has become very expensive to transport the cotton to the main markets. “Cotton is big business, with world production estimated at around 20 million tonnes per annum. It's a major crop and the most commonly used fabric for clothing and textiles,” he adds. The majority of cotton is produced by China, America and Brazil. “Cotton fibres are made into a wide variety of textiles, vital for everyday use in clothing, home furnishings and in industry. Other important by-products of cotton include the oil from cotton seed, used as cooking oil,” Moussa explains. Professor of Botany Mohamed Reda in the Faculty of Agriculture says: “Cotton and wheat need a lot of nutrients and chemical fertilisers to grow strong and healthy, but they've become very expensive. “Farmers know which nutrients their crops need. Plant diseases, weeds and insects all damage these crops, reducing yields and increasing the cost of production. High-quality crops only grow on soils with a good surface and internal drainage.” “Officials in the Agricultural Ministry must provide the farmers with phosphorus and potassium fertilisers, and the cotton and wheat seeds they need.” He stresses that the best solution is to reduce the price of the fertilisers and seeds. “We also need the agricultural directorates in every governorate to get specialists to check the crops, to ensure that the plants are healthy and not being blighted,” he adds.
