THE POTENTIAL OF ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL TRADE TO ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY BETWEEN EGYPT AND NILE BASIN COUNTRIES

Document Type : Research articles.

Author

Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University

Abstract

The problem of the study shows that the value of trade exchanges
between Egypt and the Nile Basin countries during the average period (2012-
2016) it low. Egypt's exports to the basin countries amounted to about 1.04
billion dollars, representing about 3.99% of the total value of Egyptian exports
to the world. Egypt's imports from Nile Basin countries amounted to about $
420 million for the same period representing only 0.61% of the total value of
Egyptian imports from the world, the value of trade exchange between Egypt
and the Nile Basin countries amounts to about 1.46 billion dollars, representing
about 1.53% of the value of trade exchange with the world, Which is very small
compared to the value of trade exchange between Egypt and the world. This
necessitates an increase in the value of trade exchange between Egypt and Nile
Basin countries because of the distance between Egypt and the basin countries.
Egypt enjoys a surplus in some crops and agricultural products that can be
exported to the basin countries according to the deficit in each country.
The study aims at analyzing the current status of the food balance
indicators of agricultural crops of Egypt and the Nile basin countries, and
studying the possibility of achieving agricultural integration between Egypt and
the Nile basin countries and its role in achieving food security for these
countries.
The results of the study indicate that there is a food gap in most food
commodity groups in the Nile basin countries, where the production capacity of
the commodity groups was not able to meet the food needs. The results of the
study indicate that Egypt has surplus in the crops of dry beans, green beans,
potatoes, tomatoes, onions, oranges and grapes with an estimated surplus of
41.74, 27.21, 297.7, 56.23, 422.68, 851.34, 88.67 thousand tons, respectively,
and the deficit in the Nile Basin countries of these crops, so should expand
trade exchange between Egypt and the basin countries to fill the deficit. The
results also indicate a deficit in Egypt of tea, coffee, sesame and bran with a
deficit of 46.02, 3.73, 9.05, and 63.03 thousand tons respectively, and surplus in
the basin countries. Therefore, the import of these crops and products from the
basin countries should be expanded, as there is a surplus of these crops and
products.


Main Subjects