A plan by the Egyptian government to make the country self-sufficient in wheat will likely fail by the 2040s, according to a study by researchers in Egypt and the US.
The plan involves intensifying farming methods and the near-doubling of irrigated land for wheat production by 2035, from 3.9 to 7.7 million hectares. According to the study, however, even a modest growth in population will swiftly consume the extra yield from this expansion.
“As about 30% of wheat is irrigated globally, the challenges Egypt is facing are similar to other countries trying to increase agricultural production,” says Senthold Asseng of the University of Florida, US. “What we learn from our study in Egypt will also apply to other parts of the world.”
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