Egypt encourages farmers to increase sugar beet sown areas
Egypt's Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade has raised the procurement prices for local sugar beets for the current season by EGP 75 per ton to encourage farmers to cultivate more as the country seeks to double the production of the crop.
It is reported by ahramonline.
The announcement was made by Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi during a meeting on Wednesday that included Hesham El-Hossary, head of the agricultural committee at the House of Representatives, and chairpersons of the boards of directors of sugar beet companies.
The meeting discussed the necessary measures to support farmers and set "lucrative" prices for the supply of the sugar beet crop for the current season.
To make up for the shortage in sugar cane, Egypt cultivated 620,000 feddans of sugar beets this year – adding 10,000 new feddans compared to 2022 – and targets to produce 1.8 million tons of sugar from beets.
Currently, Egypt is working on increasing its agricultural land through a land reclamation program aiming to cover approximately 3.5 million feddans, El-Sisi said on Wednesday.