Saifaddin Galal
Research Expert North Africa
Agriculture in Egypt - statistics & facts
Agriculture was the main driving factor for the establishment of the Egyptian civilization. Archeologists dated the beginning of agriculture in Egypt back to the prehistoric period of 6,000-3,150 BCE, although some evidence suggests its beginning back to 8,000 BCE.
Even before the establishment of the pharaonic dynasties in Egypt, the people of the Nile Delta transformed their semiarid land into a fertile field through the annual inundation of the river Nile. The importance of the Nile River to the life and survival of those Paleolithic settlers soon made its way into their mythology and religious and cultural beliefs.
Agriculture: A crucial sector for the economy
The importance of agriculture for the Egyptian economy is still high today; almost 11 percent of the GDP is generated from the agricultural sector. Furthermore, the sector is known to be labor intensive, and nearly 20 percent of the country's employees worked in agriculture in 2021. However, most of the population is clustered around the Nile River, with over 90 percent of the landmass being a desert. Indeed, just over four percent of land area was allocated for agricultural activities.The major agricultural, livestock, and fishery products
Sugar beet and sugar cane ranked highest in agricultural produce in Egypt. In 2021, the country produced around 14.8 million and 12.4 million metric tons of the products, respectively. Moreover, chickens were the most abundant livestock, followed by rabbits, hares, and cattle. The country also has a well-established fishing sector. In 2020, fish cultivation produced the majority of the fish.Egypt's presence on the agricultural international market
Bread plays a significant role in the Egyptian diet, and the population widely consumes it in almost most meals. Although the country is among the largest wheat producers globally, it is the largest wheat importer in the world due to the high consumption volume of the product. With regard to agricultural exports, Egypt was among the top exporters of several products, including dates, potatoes, table olives, and oranges.
