The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt has announced that this year it is planning to allocate 367,566 feddans for cotton cultivation. The cotton-cultivated area last agricultural season was 367,566 feddans; however, the cotton was grown in only 250,000 of 350,000 feddans projected.

In a statement, the ministry said that the projected area was announced in an official report issued by the General Administration for Pest Control. The report was then proposed to the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Farid Abo Hadid.

The minister has considered and approved the report. The areas were enumerated to undertake the necessary procedures to provide the involved governorates all needed materials before the start of the agricultural season.

Media reports highlighted that the cottonseeds of Giza 80, 90 and 86 are available at the Agricultural Research Centre for Upper and Lower Egypt and will cover the farmers’ needs.

According Al-Shark Al-Awsat News Agency, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in its latest report noted a decline in Egypt’s cotton exports from June to August, the last quarter of the agricultural season 2012-2013. Cotton exports decreased to 91,600 quantiles compared to 149,500 in the preceding year, an 8.38% decrease.

Cotton ginned in the last season recorded 2,190 metric quintiles compared to 318,900 in the earlier season, which constitutes a 94% decline. The reduction in ginned cotton has been justified with a shortage in cotton-cultivated area, which reduced exports and consumption.