Egypt’s area under cotton harvest is projected to drop by almost 35 per cent to 65,000 hectares (ha) in market year (MY) 2020-21 from 100,000 ha in MY 2019-20, according to the ‘Cotton and Products’ report issued by the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Egyptian farmers reportedly mixed the cultivation of cotton with tomato, which encouraged whitefly infestation in both crops.
FAS revised down MY 2019-20 production to 305,000 bales compared to expected production of 337,000 bales, attributing that to the reduction of yields due to the lower quality of seeds and losses due to whitefly infestation.
“If uncontrolled, whiteflies can reduce cotton yields and affect cotton quality. Immature whiteflies infest the underside of the leaves and secrete honeydew, which is a sticky, sugary solution. This can be a serious issue in terms of fibre quality or the spinnability of fibres when grinned,” the report said.
It said reduced prices discouraged MY 2019-20 cultivation, expecting that this may continue into the coming season.
Previously, the government provided cash payments to the textile industry, which allowed them to pay a government-announced price for Egyptian cotton.
Following the reform of that system, the government announced an indicative price before the planting season commenced. The indicative price is a subtle attempt to urge the textile industry to buy cotton from farmers at the indicative price. However, it is not a price support or commitment from the government to buy the crop, according to the report.
