Food gap and food security of sugar in Egypt

Abstract

The research aims mainly to study food gap and food security of sugar in Egypt through studying of several sub-goals represented in: estimating models of general trends function for some economic indicators of sugar in Egypt during the period (1995- 2012), studying of the most important indicators of food security of sugar, estimating the size of the food gap of sugar and knowledge of the most important factors responsible for, and studying the policies and means to achieve food security of sugar in Egypt. Descriptive and quantitative analysis were used. The study depends on secondary data, which collected from local and foreign sources during the period (1995-2012).A study models of the general trend function for economic indicators showed that each of the total domestic production of sugar, domestic consumption, and the average per capita consumption, the amount of sugar imports, food gap of sugar, the price of Egyptian imports of sugar and periods of coverage of domestic production and the quantity of imports for consumption daily from sugar, and found that all of these variables has taken a general trend upward morally statistically significant at the level of probability (0.01) with the exception of a variable of coverage period of local production for daily consumption which took a general trend decreasing, and also did not identify the statistical significance of the variables of self-sufficiency rate and the period of coverage of imports for daily consumption , while the annual growth rates differed according to each variable.The conduct study show that the most important variables specific to the food gap of sugar are all from the local production of sugar, the average real price of Egyptian imports of sugar where it was found that the impact of each of these two variables on sugar gap be negative.The study showed that the strategic stock for sugar is estimated at 1.45 million tons and the average local consumption of sugar is estimated at about 2.17 million tons during the study period (1995-2012), thus estimated food security of about 0.84 is therefore required to take various actions which lead to increase the size of the strategic stock of sugar enough for half of it needs for domestic consumption even come close to the value of suitable coefficient of sugar food securityThe study showed that the policies and means to achieve sugar food security include horizontal agricultural development policy, vertical agricultural development policy, the policy of rationalizing the consumption of sugar, policy of consumer subsidy of sugar, and the policy of diversifying sources of imported sugar.In the light of the results of the study illustrated by research it has been possible to reach some ofthe following recommendations:1- It is necessary to intensify efforts to agricultural extension and agricultural research centers incollaboration with factories engineers and agriculture departments and supervisors agricultural awareness ofthe importance of agriculture resistance to pests and diseases that affect the crop, and help them get onpesticides is harmful to the environment to do so.2- Increasing of sugar production through the expansion of sugar crops, particularly sugar beet to the lack ofwater needs compared to sugar cane harvest in the new land.3- Increasing of sugar productivity crops through dissemination of sugar varieties of high productivity and tosuit every center of administrative centers in Egypt.4- Rationalizing the consumption of sugar during dismiss the size of the loss of sugar.5- to achieve food security has to be the need to develop awareness programs for the application of planningpolicy breeds where it is one of the most important determinants of the demand for i Egyptian imports ofsugar.6- it is important to put a national strategy to increase the self-sufficiency ratio of sugar with the need toimport and distribute the amounts of diversification between different sources in order to avoid what mighthappen from political pressure in favor of the Egyptian economy is in the case of international politicalconditions change.7- It is necessary to study the reduction commitments of support granted to the production and export in the sugar-exporting countries in order to reduce the negative effects on the Egyptian Savin