Skip to main content

Egypt to plant wheat in Congo amid water shortage

Egypt plans to cultivate 20,000 hectares of land in Mossendjo city in the Republic of Congo with strategic crops such as wheat.
A worker carries a bale of wheat during the harvest in the village of Bamha near al-Ayyat in Egypt's Giza province.

Amid Egypt’s acute water shortage, Cairo is eyeing the Republic of Congo to plant wheat and other strategic crops to cover the country’s food needs.

Sherif Al-Gabali, head of the parliamentary African Affairs Committee, said on Oct. 17 that Congolese authorities have allocated 20,000 hectares (48,000 feddans) of arable lands for Egypt in the city of Mossendjo to be cultivated with crops such as wheat and rice under a friendship agreement between the two countries.

“Under the deal, Egypt will get 60% of the produced crops, while the remaining 40% will go to Congo,” he said. "The offered lands are very fertile and Congo is a water-rich country and does not have an irrigation problem.”

Ahmed Hamdy Bakr, deputy assistant foreign minister for central African affairs, said agricultural investment in Africa is a national security issue for Egypt. “Investment in the agriculture field in Africa serves Egypt’s efforts to achieve food security,” he added.

Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer. According to the state statistics agency CAPMAS, Egypt consumes up to 21 million tons of wheat annually, around 13 million tons of which are imported.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, has largely disrupted Egypt’s wheat supply as 80% of the country’s wheat imports come from the two countries, forcing Cairo to look for alternatives.

Wheat is a water-consuming crop, and its cultivation adds more pressure on Egypt’s already limited water resources.

A nation with a population of around 104 million, Egypt is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. It needs 114 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually, but it receives an average of only 60 bcm — mainly from the Nile River, the country’s only source of freshwater.

The country is engaged in a yearslong dispute with Ethiopia over a mega-dam project being built by Addis Ababa on the Blue Nile, the Nile River’s main tributary, which Cairo views as an existential threat to its water share.

Experts, however, poured cold water on the initiative citing hot weather and lack of experienced farmers as the main obstacles to growing wheat in Congo.

Nader Noureddine, a professor of water resources and land reclamation at Cairo University, said wheat cultivation is generally weak in the whole equatorial region, including the Congo Republic.

“Wheat is cultivated in areas with cold weather like Russia, Canada, the United States and Argentina. In Egypt, wheat is planted in the Nile Delta, while its production in Upper Egypt, where the temperature is high, is poor,” he told Al-Monitor.

Mohamed Nasr al-Din Allam, a former Egyptian irrigation minister, said the lack of experienced farmers might undermine endeavors to grow wheat in the Republic of Congo.

“Wheat is not a strategic crop in most African countries, and its cultivation will need well-trained farmers in order to be able to plant it in such hot weather in Africa,” he told Al-Monitor.

He said Egypt’s water shortages hinder efforts to expand in wheat cultivation for providing food for the country’s growing population.

“The per capita share of water in Egypt ranges around 550 cubic meters per year,” he said. “Egypt has carried out several projects to make use of every drop of water by building plants for water desalination and reuse of agricultural water in order to overcome the water crisis in Egypt.”

Join hundreds of Middle East professionals with Al-Monitor PRO.

Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. Try it for free and cancel anytime.

Already a Member? Sign in

Free

The Middle East's Best Newsletters

Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.
Delivered straight to your inbox.

Free

What's included:
Our Expertise

Free newsletters available:

  • The Takeaway & Week in Review
  • Middle East Minute (AM)
  • Daily Briefing (PM)
  • Business & Tech Briefing
  • Security Briefing
  • Gulf Briefing
  • Israel Briefing
  • Palestine Briefing
  • Turkey Briefing
  • Iraq Briefing
Expert

Premium Membership

Join the Middle East's most notable experts for premium memos, trend reports, live video Q&A, and intimate in-person events, each detailing exclusive insights on business and geopolitical trends shaping the region.

$25.00 / month
billed annually

Become Member Start with 1-week free trial
What's included:
Our Expertise AI-driven

Memos - premium analytical writing: actionable insights on markets and geopolitics.

Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts.

Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs.

Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates.

All premium Industry Newsletters - Monitor the Middle East's most important industries. Prioritize your target industries for weekly review:

  • Capital Markets & Private Equity
  • Venture Capital & Startups
  • Green Energy
  • Supply Chain
  • Sustainable Development
  • Leading Edge Technology
  • Oil & Gas
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Banking

We also offer team plans. Please send an email to pro.support@al-monitor.com and we'll onboard your team.

Already a Member? Sign in

Security Briefing Security Briefing

Security Briefing

Middle East defense and security in your inbox

Trend Reports

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (4th R) attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 22, 2019. (Photo by HOW HWEE YOUNG / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

From roads to routers: The future of China-Middle East connectivity

A general view shows the solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on March 29, 2018. - On March 27, Saudi announced a deal with Japan's SoftBank to build the world's biggest solar plant. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

Regulations on Middle East renewable energy industry starting to take shape

Start your PRO membership today.

Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today.

Join Al-Monitor PRO Start with 1-week free trial