THE OPTIMUM DISTRIBUTION OF FIELD CROPS IN KAFR EL-SHEIKH GOVERNORATE

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

The agricultural sector in Egypt plays an important role to achieve thefood security, as well as surplus which can be exported in return of foreigncurrency and a raw materials to the non-agricultural sector. For this purpose,the study aims mainly at estimating the optimum distribution to the agriculturalfield crops in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate in order to maximize the per feddannet return, and maximizing the per feddan net return of the irrigation unit aswell as minimizing the per feddan irrigation unit. To achieve the stiuaypurpose, a questionnaire as well as secondary data was utilized. Linear
programming technique was also used and the main study results can besummarized as follows:To maximize the per feddan net return and maximize the net return of theirrigation unit in winter crops require increasing the wheat acreage by about8%. This will result in decreasing the acreage of broad bean, clover and sugarbeet by about 10% compared with the present acreage.To maximize the per feddan net return and maximize the net return of theirrigation unit of summer crops require decreasing the acreage of cotton andrice crop by about 10%, 2% respectively and increasing the acreage of cornas well as soybean by about 21% and 1%, respectively.In order to minimize the consumption of irrigation water require decreasing theacreage of cotton and rice crops by about 10% and 13%, respectively andincreasing the acreage of corn crop by about 10% compared with the presentcrop pattern.The crop pattern of the three alternatives to winter and summer crops achieveminimizing the labor, water resources, phosphate and nitrate chemicalfertilizers requirements as well as increasing the per feddan net return and perfeddan net return of the irrigation unit.With the concept of the previous results, the studyrecommends increasing the acreage of wheat and corn crops and decreasethe acreage of rice crop which consumes a lot amount of irrigation waterwhich will be more scarce in the coming years.