Agricultural production development of newly reclaimed land in Egypt.

There are many challenges that are facing agricultural production in the new land such as lack of water resource, inefficient use of water resources and the scarcity of skilled labor. Other challenges include the lack of data and accurate information on agricultural production of the new land. Therefore, the study aimed at identifying the evolution of agricultural production in newly reclaimed lands in Egypt, and assessing how significant this production is at present and in the near future. The study relied on secondary data and descriptive and quantitative methods such as time trends, t-test and models of supply response, as well as the use of different time series models. The study found that the area and production of wheat, sugar-beet, tomatoes, summer potatoes, winter potatoes and oranges, have witnessed significant changes during the study period (1999-2010). By the same taken, the study reveals that there had been actual changes in the productivity of wheat, sugar-beet, tomatoes, summer potatoes and apples in the new lands compared to old lands. The study also predicts that there will be an expected increase in the area and production of wheat, sugar beet, summer tomatoes, winter tomatoes, potatoes and oranges, during the period (20l2-202).The study also predicts that there will be an expected increase in the area an production of the Nile tomatoes and the summer tomatoes oranges and apples. This study is composed of four chapters, The first chapter reviews the most important previous studies that are relevant to this study. Chapter 2 addressed the development of land reclamation in Egypt and the possibilities of land reclamation the medium term and long term. Chapter 3 dealt with the evolution of agricultural production and the prediction for the most important agricultural crops in the new lands. The analysis of supply response models is one of the main contributions at this study. Finally, the study recommends the need to reactivate land reclamation in Egypt in order to offset the expected decrease in the aria and production of food crops. At the same time, it is imperative to enhance the productivity of wheat, sugar beets, winter tomatoes and potatoes to avoid the expected decrease in productivity of these crops, That special effort should be exerted to the collection and processing of agricultural data in the newly reclaimed land. The new lands should become part and parcel of the regular activity of the statistical agency in the Ministry of Agricultural.