About Egyptian Farming
The Nile Delta is one of the most fertile regions on Earth. Many stories of ancient Egypt involve the Nile River and farming. From ancient to modern times, agriculture has been an important facet of Egyptian life. Egypt has 6 million fertile acres of the Nile Delta. Technology and demand for new agricultural products have brought change to Egyptian agriculture. Some important Egyptian crops are cotton, wheat, rice, clover and horticulture.
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Ancient Egyptian Farming
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The wealthy Egyptian pharaohs employed peasants and farm laborers to work the rich delta of the Nile. Some of the foods grown were wheat, barley and fruits such as figs. Animals were an important tool in ancient Egyptian farming. Such animals as donkeys helped with planting, plowing and harvesting the crops. Ancient Egyptian farmers used simple tools such as sickles and plows made from flint. The Nile River provided ample irrigation and produced a rich harvest.
Modern Egyptian Farming
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Modern Egyptian farming is successful because of the richness of the Nile Delta land, warm weather and plentiful irrigation. This warm climate permits farmers to grow several crops per year. Most modern Egyptian farmers grow multiple crops.
Cotton has been an important introduction to the modern farming industry in Egypt. Cotton production revolutionized irrigation in Egypt. Cotton requires a year-round water supply, even during the summer when the water from the Nile River is at its lowest stage. Modern farming in Egypt has introduced regulation of the flow of the Nile and new irrigation techniques. Cotton production has decreased significantly over time. -
Clover
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Clover has been a major product of Egyptian agriculture since the 1950s. During the 1980s, approximately one quarter of farming land was devoted to raising clover. Clover is used as animal feed. As the demand for livestock grew during the oil boom years, so did the demand for clover production. The Egyptians also had to maintain enough clover to feed their own livestock.
Wheat
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Wheat is in steady demand worldwide. As with clover, Egyptian farmers also produce wheat to feed their own livestock. Wheat production has steadily increased in Egypt because of its high demand and favorable growing conditions. Egyptians experimented with hybrid wheat that had high yields but found them to be of inferior quality to their own domestic species of wheat.
Other Important Crops
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Rice has been a crop in Egypt since ancient times and is a staple in the Egyptian diet. Almost one-third of rice production goes to feeding the Egyptian population. Egypt competes with Japan in rice production for export purposes.
Horticulture in Egypt refers to the growing of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some of these are potatoes, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and citrus fruits. Two of the most successful horticulture crops have been melons and tomatoes.
There are many livestock farmers in Egypt. Their stock includes camels, sheep, water buffalo, cattle, pigs and poultry. In recent years, there has been a decline in camel herds with the increase of motor vehicle usage. Livestock are also important to Egyptians as sources of meat, milk and labor.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Wikipedia (public domain)
