Importance and Repercussions of Cultivating the American Short Staple, Short Duration Cotton on the Egyptian Economy

摘要

There are several motives for introducing to Egypt American varieties of cotton which are shorter stapled and have a shorter growing season. First, Egypt has one of the smallest ratios of cultivated land to population in the world; the introduction of American cotton would be land-saving. Second, the issue of food security requires that Egypt's historical specialization in extra-long staple cotton be reconsidered because of vastly increased imports of cereals. Third, Egyptian cotton production is not sufficient even to meet local textile needs, indicating that higher-yielding varieties should be grown. Fourth, cotton is a labor-intensive crop; again, higher-yielding varieties would better cover escalating labor costs. Finally, new varieties might help alleviate Egypt's 'cotton problem'--continuously increasing production costs, fixed farm prices, accumulating stocks, decreased demand, and new entries in the international market.