EGYPT – The Egyptian government plans to reduce the area allocated to rice cultivation by 32% to 315,000 hectares by 2025 to address the country’s critical water shortage, which is exacerbated by climate change and increasing temperatures.
As the second-largest rice producer in Africa after Nigeria, the country is facing a looming crisis in its agricultural sector as water scarcity threatens key crops, particularly rice.
“This reduction is mainly due to recent challenges related to water resources due to climate change and the unprecedented temperature increase. This is in addition to the need to rationalize water consumption,” a government source said.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Egypt’s rice production averaged 3.8 million tonnes of milled rice between 2020 and 2023. However, domestic consumption exceeds production, with around 4.3 million tonnes consumed annually, forcing the nation to import approximately 9% of its rice needs to meet demand.
Egypt is grappling with a water deficit estimated at nearly 54 billion cubic meters (m³) per year. Official data reveals that while the country’s water needs stand at about 114 billion m³ annually, its available water resources are only 60 billion m³. This shortfall is putting immense pressure on agricultural sectors, including rice, which is a water-intensive crop.
According to meteorological data, temperatures across the North African region have been rising steadily over the past decade, which has intensified the impact of water scarcity on crop production.
Despite these challenges, the Egyptian government is seeking to maintain rice production levels by embracing new, more water-efficient hybrid rice varieties.
The Agricultural Research Center (ARC), with support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), began trials in May 2024 on these hybrid varieties, which could reduce water requirements by up to 33% compared to conventional rice.
“These early maturing rice varieties, developed by ARC, grow in 3 months using between 9,000 to 10,000 m³ of water per hectare, compared to the 14,000 to 15,000 m³ typically needed for other rice varieties,” the USDA noted in its April report on Egypt’s cereal sector.
The flagship hybrid variety, Giza Basmati 201, uses less water, boasts high productivity, and has a distinctive aromatic quality, making it a promising option for Egyptian farmers.
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the WorldHERE.
