DETERMINANTS OF PRODUCTION AND EXPORT FOR SOME MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo

2 Agric. Economics Dept., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., P.O. Box 68, Hadayek Shobra11241, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Medicinal and aromatic plants are considered to be non-traditional, multi-use crops, both in their direct form and in their indirect form, through the extraction and use of active substances in the pharmaceutical industry, the food industry, perfumery, cosmetics and soap, either in the form of pills, plants or medicinal and aromatic herbs. The cultivated area of medicinal and aromatic plants in Egypt amounted to about 46.2 thousand feddans with a percentage of 0.27% of the crop area of about 15.525 million feddans in the agricultural season (2011-2018). The cultivated area of the study crops was about 20.21 thousand feddans, The company has about 48.15% of the area of medicinal and aromatic plants during the period (2011-2018), and Egypt is located in the markets of medicinal and aromatic plants worldwide, with a trade volume of more than 60 billion dollars annually, which is a major exporter of 158.94 million dollars Which is equivalent to about 1127.038 million pounds in 2014 representing about 3.07%, 0.594% of the camel The value of Egyptian agricultural exports and total exports of 36.711, 189.741 billion pounds respectively in 2014, the problem of the study is that the cultivated areas of medicinal and aromatic plants are limited and fluctuating and low in some cases, where in recent years the areas of latency and rumen decreased from about 5,545,99759 years 2010, 2017, 2016 to about 5.152, 98759 acres in 2018, and although it is profitable crops for the farmer and the new land can be a good solution to compensate for the cost of reclamation, and this reflects on the domestic production of the failure to meet the needs of export and meet the needs of the company V Local of medicinal and aromatic plants. In spite of the urgent need to increase exports, the deficit in the Egyptian trade balance is about 329.085 billion pounds in 
2017. The study examined the productive and economic indicators of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants in Egypt. The cultivated areas of the study crops declined. The latency decreased by 5.1% With an average area of about 3,616 feddan and an average area of about 3651 feddan, while the average area of the basil was about 10.685 thousand feddans, while the average value of cash amounted to about 29,072, 41.561 million pounds for the quail and basil respectively, The value of their exports continues to rise by 10.6%, 15.42% from the average of 3866.8 and 2553 thousand dollars respectively for the period of study, as well as the increase in quantities exported from cumin and monetary value by 11.79% from the average of 1047 tons and 16.45% The statistical estimate of the production of the most important medicinal and aromatic plant crops in the sample of the study, Cumin and Rihan, was examined to determine the economic efficiency and productivity of the agricultural resources available and used for each and their importance in Egyptian agriculture, Illustrates the high economic efficiency of the majority of the elements of production of crops, cumin, basil sample study of farmers Samalout and Beni Mazar of basil in Beni Suef governorate, low economic efficiency of the element of seeds in crop cumin, manure and municipal phosphate crop basil which requires rationalization of the use by farmers of cumin sample study. The study also included the statistical estimation of the production cost functions of the most medicinal and aromatic plants in the sample of the study. Finally, the study dealt with the quantity, value and price of Egyptian exports of basil and cumin. 

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