The report proposes key elements for anagricultural export-oriented strategy in Egypt, that wouldbuild on the achievements of the agricultural strategyduring the 1990s. Substantial improvements in thecountry's macroeconomic environment, following policyreforms - though necessary - have not been sufficient toimprove agricultural export performance. Overall, whileEgyptian agricultural production increased during the 90s,agricultural exports remained low, and, the fact that bothEgyptian production, and world market trends aresubstantially less volatile, is a first indicator of thepotential to increase agricultural exports. The proposedagricultural export strategy starts with an analysis of theagricultural export potential in the country, which includesa review on the overall agricultural export performance; ananalysis of the incentive framework in agriculture,including estimates of the current nominal, and effectiveprotection rates of key imports, and exports, and, theestimated effects of alternative agricultural, and tradepolicy reform scenarios, on the returns to farming inalternative crops. This analysis identifies two agriculturalsub-sectors - cotton and horticultural crops - from whichEgypt, contingent on policy reforms, could benefit frompotentially substantial comparative advantages in trade.Based on the recognition that export promotion requires amix of sector-wide, and sub-sector specific reforms, therational focus of the report was to identify the mainimpediments of export growth in the cotton, andhorticultural sectors. The report further offers suggestionsto phasing in reforms, so that policies increasing farmingreturns in exports, precede those that will decrease(absolute) returns in competing crops.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
