Small-scale family farming is considered one of the most important factors in agricultural and rural development in Egypt. This is especially so because of the growing phenomenon of land fragmentation and its negative impact on agricultural production, efficiency in the use of natural resources and food security, as well as on the living conditions of small farmers and their families . Small-scale family farming was and still is considered one of the most important factors in agricultural and rural development in Egypt. Nearly half smallholders work only in agriculture, and have no additional source of income. Smallholdings comprise about 35 percent of all agricultural land in the country and smallholders produce around 47 percent of field crops, 61.3 percent of large ruminants, 59.3 percent of small ruminants and a smaller portion horticultural crops. Small-scale family farming and is labour intensive, requiring 3 labourers per feddan, compared to 0.7 labourers per feddan for the medium and large scale farms. Despite problems and obstacles facing small-scale farmers, this category still has challenges:
high level of crop intensification;
integration between family and farm business;
integrated crop-livestock farming system;
endorsement of vision, mission, programs and policies of the Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy 2030, which mainly focus on poverty alleviation and improving the livelihoods of rural inhabitants;
CHALLENGES
continuous and rapid increase in input prices and land rent value;
inefficient marketing system, especially for perishable crops, and shortage of appropriate
marketing infrastructure;
inefficient system of technology transfer;
low quality of irrigation water.
Our Ideal Solution: GANAT ideal solution is intensive cultivate of many crops in Small-scale family farming, such as Horticulture crops with Medesinal & Aromatic plants.
Such multi-dimensional action should include the following considerations:
applying collective cropping patterns and crop rotation;
designing and applying a package of direct and indirect supporting policies tailored and targeted specifically toward smallholders, including social protection policies;
developing and enhancing agricultural supporting services, research, extension, marketing and information;
There is no doubt that there is a strong interdependent linkage between the critical issues of small-scale family farming, rural poverty, rural unemployment, agricultural production efficiency and food insecurity in Egypt.
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