AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF SUGAR CROPS IN EGYPT

Sugar crops are considered to be the most important strategic food commodities, which attract the attention of decision-makers and producers who are concerned with the availability of supply in the markets, the deficit and the food gap. Sugar production depends on two crops in Egypt: sugarcane and sugar beet. A sugar gap due to the inability of the supply of domestic sugar to meet the demand for increased consumer needs, resulting in higher prices. The study aims to study the current situation of the production and consumption of sugar crops in Egypt and to estimate the food gap of sugar. Also, study the most important factors affecting the production and consumption of sugar crops in Egypt and the self-sufficiency rate. Of sugar The research was based on descriptive and quantitative analysis of the economic variables, the subject of the research to measure those variables and the research reached the following results.  The cultivated area of sugar cane and sugar beet has taken an increasing general trend, which is estimated to be about 0.6, 37.7 thousand feddans annually, respectively, representing about 0.19%, 11.3% of the average during the period (2005- 2015) 324.3, 334.6 thousand acres, respectively. The total production of cane sugar has taken a general trend is decreasing, and did not confirm the statistical model, that is, there is relative stability length of study. The production of sugar beet crop has taken an increasing trend, which is estimated at about 810.8 thousand tons annually, representing about 11.6% of the annual average and estimated at 7002 thousand tons. The total amount of sugar produced from both sugar cane and sugar  beets has taken an increasing general trend, and did not confirm the statistical significance, that is, there is relative stability throughout the study period. The food gap of sugar amounted to about 50.35 thousand tons, representing about 1.71% of the average national consumption of sugar, which amounted to 2937 thousand tons during the same period. Self-sufficiency rate of sugar amounted to about 63%, has taken a general trend decreases, and did not confirm the statistical significance, there is relative stability length of the study period. The study of the most important factors affecting the production of cane and sugar beet separately showed the existence of a positive relationship between the total production of each crop separately and the area and productivity of each crop separately, respectively. Study the factors affecting the consumption of sugar during the period of research shows the existence of a positive relationship between national consumption of sugar and the income of the consumer per pound / per year, local production of sugar per thousand tons, and the monetary value to support sugar per million pounds, and the opposite of the amount of national consumption of sugar and the retail price of sugar per kilogram per kilogram and the average global price in dollars / ton.