Food & Climate
Egyptian rice has witnessed significant developments in recent years, most notably reducing its time in the soil to more than a month and shifting to direct cultivation without the need for flooding. This has reduced irrigation water consumption by 30%, according to Dr. Khaled Gad, Deputy Director of the Field Crops Institute at the Ministry of Agriculture.
In an interview with “Food & Climate” platform on the sidelines of the African Rice Forum, which was recently held in Cairo, Gad added that the productivity per acre has nearly doubled, and new varieties of Egyptian rice have been added. You can read more details in the following interview:
What’s new in Egyptian rice production?
We have succeeded in increasing yields per acre from 2.5 tons to 4.5 tons, and may even reach 5 tons.
We have reduced the plant’s lifespan from 160 to 120 days, reducing water consumption by 30%.
Egyptian rice was previously accused of high water consumption, but shortening its lifespan and relying on planting seeds directly in the ground, rather than as seedlings, and irrigation is performed every 7-8 days—have contributed to a significant reduction in water consumption.
What is the percentage of reliance on dry farming?
More than 70% of Egyptian rice is grown this way, especially since it reduces costs by about 4,000 Egyptian pounds per acre, while achieving the same yield and quality.
One-third of Egyptian rice is grown using the flooding method in areas with high soil salinity, with the aim of reducing it. These areas include Kafr El-Sheikh, Dakahlia, and Damietta.
Egypt achieves a surplus in rice production, amounting to 300,000-400,000 tons. “Thank God, we have achieved self-sufficiency and a surplus in rice.”
There are eight distinct varieties of Egyptian rice, both fine-grain and broad-grain, resistant to climate change, and highly productive.
One of the most important varieties is jasmine rice, which is no less productive than regular varieties.
We have also begun cultivating basmati rice, and its productivity is equal to that of its native country. Its cultivation has contributed to reducing its price in the local market to half the price of imported rice from Pakistan, India, and other countries.
Does this mean we should avoid reducing the acreage?
We must reduce the acreage. There are six governorates targeted for cultivation, which are the most affected by rising sea levels. These areas are sufficient to produce rice in quantities that achieve self-sufficiency and are surplus.
What I mean is limiting the areas planted with rice, as there are other competing, more important crops, such as maize, which is used for fodder and is the basis of poultry and livestock production in Egypt.
Is there a plan for this?
Yes, we will use a contract farming system, which encourages farmers to cultivate it.
We also have what is called the hybrid system, which ranks fourth in the world in productivity per acre.
There are currently more than 30 hybrid varieties at the Ministry of Agriculture, in addition to varieties available at companies.
Rice is a staple food for half the world’s population, but all varieties suffer from arsenic levels. What is the percentage of arsenic in Egyptian rice?
Egypt does not suffer from an arsenic problem in rice, and all our rice varieties are free of heavy metals.
What about wheat production in Egypt, given that it is the world’s largest consumer?
The wheat system has been successful, as it is the country’s primary strategic crop, and Egypt ranks second globally in wheat productivity.
We have been able to maintain 50% self-sufficiency over the past 10 years, despite a “tremendous” population increase, in addition to visitors of all kinds, who number approximately 20 million annually, and the limited agricultural area.
This is due to significant increase in productivity per acre. There are 14 bread varieties and four pasta varieties.
There are also five new registered varieties that will be introduced next year, and four more are under registration. All of these varieties are highly productive, water-efficient, and are grown using the terrace method, which saves 20% of water and 30% of consumed seeds, thus reducing waste.
We have a large silo system, increasing its storage capacity from 1.5 million tons to 4.5 million tons.
This capacity is being increased as a national project, encompassing several projects in cooperation with regional and international institutions such as the World Bank, the FAO, the European Union, and some Arab countries such as the UAE.
Over the past four years, all barns have been developed. These barns, which were previously earthen, causing significant waste, are now all cement-lined and covered. Consequently, waste has decreased from 30% to 8% currently. We aim to achieve zero waste in the coming years, up to 2030.
We are halfway through the plan and have reduced by approximately 20%, meaning that the goal of zero waste will soon be achieved.
Last year, we reached 4 million tons, and this is expected to increase to 4.5 million tons.
The government is raising the supply price to exceed the global price, with the aim of supporting farmers and encouraging them to grow wheat.
Also, if the global price is higher, farmers will keep it.
Yes, unfortunately, and will be used for livestock farming, i.e., in areas we don’t want.