Page 18 - AA 2022 YEAR BOOK

Editorial

AGRICULTURE IN MENA - GROWTH, TRENDS, COVID-19 IMPACT,

AND FORECASTS (2022 - 2027)

Market Overview The Quest for Food Self for achieving food self-sufficiency is ma-
The agriculture market in the MENA Sufficiency is Driving jorly driving agricultural production in
the MENA region.
region is projected to grow at a CAGR of
5.7% during the forecast period (2021- Production Egypt Leads in
2026). MENA is an acronym that refers Among the food security challenges
to the countries in the Middle East and in the region, undernourishment, pov- Fruits and Vegetable
North Africa. erty, low agricultural productivity under Production
The covid-19 has led to increase in the scarce natural resources, and food im-
consumption of the healthy and nutri- port dependency pose the main prob- Egypt is the highest producer of fruits
tional diets that enhances the consump- lems. To tackle the increasing depen- and vegetables in the region, closely fol-
tion of cereals and fruits in the region. dency on imports, countries in the region lowed by Iran. Fruits and vegetables are
However, human movement restrictions are taking several measures to ramp up the most suitable crops for the climatic
due to COVID-19 have resulted in farm- production, as there are opportunities to conditions of countries in the MENA re-
labor shortages, especially for high-val- partially address food insecurity by in- gion. The countries in the region direct
ue crops. creasing food production. For instance, a their scarce water resources to more
political blockade in Qatar turned into a value-added crops, like fruit and vegeta-
Water-efficient irrigation is expand- boon for its food security as the Minis- bles grown in greenhouses, as opposed
ing, thereby, enabling intensive produc- try of Economy and Commerce (MEC), to growing water-intensive cereal crops.
tion of high-value cash and export crops, in cooperation with shopping malls and According to FAO, Egypt produced
chiefly including fruits and vegetables. large retail outlets, unveiled the “Nation- 15,524,952 metric ton of primary fruits
A dominant concern in the MENA region al Product” of “Made in Qatar” initiative. and 15,419,841 metric ton of primary
is its high and growing dependence on Under this initiative, farmers are grow- vegetables in 2019. Egypt is also a sig-
the international markets for key staple ing fruits and vegetables in greenhouses nificant exporter of fruit and vegetables
food products, as arable land and water and are being sold as goods bearing the to the European Union. Major fruits and
grow scarcer. The governments of vari- slogan “National Product” prominently vegetables produced in the region are
ous countries have taken steps to con- to facilitate consumers’ access to these grapes, dates, watermelon, bananas,
serve water by banning the production products. In another instance, according sugarcane, eggplants, and potatoes.
of water-thirsty crops, such as wheat and to a recent FAO report titled “The State Hence, the production of fruits and veg-
green fodder. of Food Insecurity in the World”, Mo- etables is likely to drive the whole agri-
Food demand is increasing in the rocco has made significant progress in cultural sector in the country, during the
MENA region, mainly for two key rea- the reduction of hunger. This was made forecast period.
sons, which are population growth and possible by maximizing production from
rising incomes. Thus, the proper use large-scale farms and supporting small- ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
of agricultural resources, new technol- scale farms in reducing poverty and
ogy, and favorable policies are crucial in hunger, through venture capitalism. The
driving the agriculture sector of the re- production of course grain grew from Aviagen Ltd...................................
gion, in the coming years. 777,120 metric ton in 2016 to 3,005,008 ................. Inside Cover (English)
metric ton in 2018 (FAO). Thus, the quest
Big Dutchman International GmbH
..................................................... 7
Olives Production in the Arab Countries (2019-2020)
Evans Vanodine International .. 9
Area 2019 Flag 2020 Flag Hendrix Genetics BV ................. 1
Algeria 868754 1079508 Marel Poultry B.V. ...................... 4
Egypt 981000 932927 Im
Omex Agrifluids Ltd .................. 8
Iraq 34501 33912
Orffa Additives B.V. ................... 6
Jordan 214994 173083 Im
Pfeuffer GmbH ......................... 13
Kuwait 809 737 Im
Lebanon 145000 F 136384 Im Puroxi Pure Water Global Inc. ....
.. ................................................... 5
Libya 173487 Im 172519 Im
Saudi Agriculture .........................
Morocco 1912238 1409266
................... Inside Cover (Arabic)
Palestine 89053 Im 89263 Im
Saudi Arabia 357819 364546 Shanghai Mio Chemical Co., Ltd
..................................................... 2
Syrian Arab Republic 844316 781204
Shanghai Mio Chemical Co., Ltd
Tunisia 1184961 Im 2000000 ..................................................... 3
Im: FAO data based on imputation methodology F: FAO estimate Swingtech GmbH ..................... 11
Source: FAO Statistical Division 2021
16 Arab Agriculture 2022