Mohamed Hamdi Salem, a professor of agronomics at Ain Shams University, said Egypt loses a lot due to primitive methods of harvesting, adding that such methods cause the country to lose 20 percent of wheat production, 50 percent of tomato production, 40 percent of vegetables and 35 percent of fruits.
He said units of agricultural industrialization in Egypt do not work at full production capacity and do not meet export standards or produce varieties that grow better in the Egyptian environment and thus can compete in international markets.
“There is no contractual marketing system that reduces risks and stimulates farmers to produce more,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
