Besides coping with the heat waves and power outages that Egypt has been experiencing since mid-April this year, the country’s farmers are becoming increasingly worried about the adverse effects of the higher temperatures on their crops.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority has forecast that Egypt was set to see a two-week heat wave, with temperatures soaring above 42 to 44 degrees Celsius starting on 9 July.
In recent years, Egypt and many other Mediterranean countries have faced unprecedented heat waves that have reduced the production of crops like mangoes, maize, dates, and vegetables, said Sayed Khalifa, head of the Agriculture Syndicate.
Khalifa said that the country has embarked on a two-pronged plan to ease the effect of the heat on crops. The first is changing planting dates to avoid the hottest months and ensure that crops are ready for harvesting before the peak of the heat waves while avoiding planting during the cold months of January and February.
The second is to advance agricultural research, which has recently developed a drought-tolerant rice variety that consumes less water and has a shorter growing cycle than traditional rice.
Research is essential for achieving long-term successes in mitigating the impacts of climate change on agriculture, Khalifa stressed.
Greenhouse projects are another key strategy in combating climate change, particularly for vegetable and fruit production, he said, since greenhouses can moderate climatic conditions.
Hussein Abu Saddam, head of the Farmers Syndicate, anticipates significant price increases for fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers until the end of the summer due to the heat waves.
Most of these crops are grown in open fields rather than greenhouses, making them more susceptible to the negative impacts of higher temperatures.
Wheat, a winter crop currently in the harvesting stage, is unlikely to be affected by the heat waves except in cases of poor transportation or storage, Abu Saddam said.
However, prolonged heat waves generally increase the risk of insect infestations and disease, leading to higher pesticide use, increased energy consumption due to longer irrigation periods, and greater fertiliser consumption, he added.
The heat also affects the quality of grains, reducing their protein and gluten content. Higher temperatures can decrease maize production, one of Egypt’s most-important crops, delaying maturation and lowering nutritional content.
Abu Saddam said that the current heat wave could negatively impact corn yields when the crop is harvested in October. The heat could reduce overall productivity and increase the likelihood of disease, prompting farmers to harvest their corn prematurely for use as livestock fodder.
Preemptive harvesting is a strategy that is sometimes used to avoid the high costs of treating infections with pesticides and paying for more frequent irrigation and the greater use of fertilisers. However, it means that the yield per feddan does not compensate farmers for additional costs.
Abu Saddam also warned about the impact of the heat waves on fruit exports. If the present heat wave persists, it could cause fruit to ripen prematurely, rendering it unsuitable for export and thus affecting Egypt’s agricultural exports.
The non-exported fruit would be redirected to local markets at lower prices, resulting in losses for farmers.
The Climate Change Information Centre at the Ministry of Agriculture issued warnings to farmers in early June about the effects of rising temperatures on summer crops.
Mohamed Fahim, head of the centre, said that the heat waves have negatively affected mangoes and pomegranates and have resulted in smaller olives, dates, and citrus fruits.
Heat waves also increase the risk of crop diseases due to weakened plants and impact the pollination and fertilisation of crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton.
Fahim said that farmers should postpone the planting of certain crops, avoid planting garlic and green onions until the current heat wave subsides, and bring irrigation periods closer together.
Crops should be quickly irrigated in the morning and not irrigated in the afternoon, he said.
Nader Noureldin, a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) expert, said that adaptation is key when dealing with climate change, along with measures taken to protect Egypt’s North Coast from sea-level rise.
Aimed at reducing the negative impacts of climate change, adaptation requires extensive scientific research to be carried out in order to develop varieties capable of withstanding higher temperatures, drought, and higher soil salinity.
These steps are crucial to preserving crop yields and avoiding a decline in food production in countries affected by climate change, he said.
Global expectations indicate that there will be a decline in food production by 10 to 20 per cent in the coming year due to climate change, Noureldin said. He said that Egypt needs to increase the amount spent on scientific research in general, and agricultural research in particular, to adapt to climate change.
Average temperatures recorded in Egypt in July have now reached 36 to 37 degrees Celsius, compared to 30 degrees 15 years ago.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 11 July, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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