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EGYPT, a large nation of 1 million km2, although mainly containing desert, is located in the northeastern corner of Africa. It has a fast-growing population, 67 million in 1999, almost all of whom live along the Nile River. The Nile 's waters are used extensively to irrigate crops such as rice, which is grown in the summer on about 600,000 ha, mainly in the northern delta. Forty percent of the workforce is involved in agriculture, which makes up 17% of the GDP. General information - GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 3,670
- Internal renewable water resources: 1.8 km3
- Incoming water flow: 66.7 km3
- Main food consumed: wheat, maize, sugar and honey, oil and fat, rice
- Rice consumption, 1999: 40.6 kg milled rice per person per year
Production constraints
Yields during 1995-2000 were among the world's highest. The following are constraints to sustainable rice production in Egypt: - Shortage of water
- Salinity
- Pests and disease (blast)
- Yield potentials of current varieties have reached a plateau
Production season | | | | Planting | Harvesting | Main season | May | Oct | Basic statistics, Egypt |
| 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Rice | Area harvested (ha) | 388,600 | 435,908 | 588,538 | 514,687 | 655,082 | 660,000 | Yield (t/ha) | 5.9 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.1 | Production (t) | 2,311,300 | 3,167,421 | 4,788,097 | 4,474,110 | 5,816,960 | 5,996,830 | Rice imports (t) | 16 | 2,443 | 795 | 698 | 6,627 | na | Paddy imports (t) | 25 | 0 | 0 | na | na | na | Rice exports (t) | 16,352 | 75,718 | 156,787 | 428,925 | 306,977 | na | Paddy exports (t) | 800 | 0 | 0 | 1,000 | 0 | na | Others | Population, total (x103) | 49,748 | 56,333 | 62,282 | 65,978 | 67,226 | na | Population, agriculture (x103) | 25,665 | 24,708 | 24,956 | 25,041 | 25,057 | na | Agricultural area (x103 ha) | 2,497 | 2,648 | 3,283 | 3,300 | na | na | Irrigated agricultural area (x103 ha) | 2,497 | 2,648 | 3,283 | 3,300 | na | na | Total fertilizer consumption (t) | 863,500 | 964,815 | 1,113,195 | 1,112,652 | na | na | Tractors used in agric. (no.) | 51,856 | 57,000 | 89,080 | 90,000 | na | na | Source: FAOSTAT online database. | Click here for a pdf of this information
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