The optimum crop pattern under the available economic resources

Egyptian agriculture sector is considered to be one of the main pillars of the Egyptian economic fabric. It represents about 17% of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP), 20% of Egyptian exports, and it employs about 26% of the total Egyptian workforce. Furthermore, the sector plays a very significant role in providing different services to the other sectors of the economy. Moreover, it plays a vital role in achieving food security for Egypt. Upon the application of the economic liberalization policy, crop pattern has had become voluntarily instead of obligatory dictated be the government. Crop pattern is a function of agriculture production policy of the state set according to political, economic, and social factors under liberalization policies. However, does the current crop pattern is the optimum pattern that is capable of achieving the producers, consumers, and the states goals? If not, what is then is the optimum crop pattern? The later is the research question, and its answer is the research main objective, to come up with an optimum crop pattern, in addition to providing some suggestions for optimum crop patterns that suit different governorates in Egypt. The study reviewed the development the cultivated land and crop areas according different seasons in Egypt during the period of 1986-2007. Also, ratios of agrarian intensification for the different seasons were presented. In addition, actual crop patterns were introduced as an average for the period from 1985 to 2007, for intervals of two years. Linear programming models were used to infer the optimum crop pattern that is capable of achieving the producers, consumers, and the states goals. The fifth model was chosen, and the study recommends the use of that pattern because of its multiple benefits such as high return rates, water conservation, high return on water unit, and the conservation of strategic export crops. ,The study suggests a group of different crop patterns for the main governorates in Egypt that represent both upper and lower Egypt. Each crop pattern package includes its net returns, total costs, and total profits