3 Acres Could Yield One Million Pounds Annually.. The Secret of "Green Gold" in Egypt

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Farmers in Egypt are preparing for a new agricultural season as most of the lands in the Nile Delta are ready for the winter season. Ali, one of these farmers, is preparing to transfer thyme seedlings from the nursery to the rest of his land, which spans about 3 feddans. The seeds are initially planted in an incubator that is nearly 175 square meters in size during September, and when they grow to about 8-10 cm, they are transferred to the entire area of the land.

In October, thyme planting begins in Itsa in Fayoum, located 112 km southwest of Cairo, marking the start of the journey of what farmers call "green gold," as the plant remains in the ground for 5 to 8 years depending on the farmer's preference, according to Ali Al-Fayoumi.

Thyme is considered to have a high economic return compared to other traditional crops in Egypt, as it is harvested 3-4 times a year, with one feddan producing about 1.5 tons of dry thyme in a single harvest.

Ali, who is optimistic about the new crop, said: "On average, one feddan produces about 4 tons of dried thyme annually... I pray to God for a good harvest across the entire area of land, and that the high prices remain or increase further."

He expected that his sales would exceed one million pounds annually from his entire area, while the cost of cultivating an acre – including seeds, organic fertilizers, rent, and irrigation – ranges between 45,000 and 55,000 pounds, reaching 60,000 to 70,000 pounds with labor.

For his part, Ahmed Nagy, an official at "Herbs Maker" for import and export in Fayoum, stated that the price of a ton of thyme has stabilized this year at 80,000 to 85,000 pounds, with strong demand from the markets of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland.

He added: "We are engaged in exporting aromatic plants abroad and have exported about 16 tons of thyme so far... We have strong demand for aromatic plants such as thyme, marjoram, basil, fennel, and moringa."

According to recent data reviewed by "Al Arabiya Business", the revenue from the exports of medicinal and aromatic herbs in the first 8 months of this year reached about 216 million dollars, while the total revenue from its exports for the entire last year 2022 was about 312.1 million dollars.

Egypt has a strategy to increase the area of medicinal and aromatic plants from 140,000 acres currently to 250,000 acres by 2030, with most of it concentrated in the newly reclaimed lands in the Western and Eastern deserts and Sinai, according to Hossam Mohsen, head of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department at the Agricultural Research Center.

He added that Egypt has great opportunities to expand in these crops in the desert, where the climatic conditions are suitable for that, with strong global demand, especially in the European Union, America, and Canada.

Mohsen believes that deepening the manufacturing to produce raw materials from these plants, which are used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, perfumes, and biopesticides industries, will double Egypt's dollar revenue, in addition to providing more job opportunities in both industrial and agricultural sectors.

He added that it is necessary to expand contractual farming programs to protect farmers from price manipulation and to create a fair relationship between farmers and export companies. The Giza Company for Seeds and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants tops the list of the largest exporters of medicinal and aromatic herbs with a share exceeding 15% of export revenues, according to Managing Director Saif Shazly to "Al Arabiya Business."

He explained that the company has the largest program for contractual farming with farmers working in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants in Egypt, especially in new lands free from pesticides, heavy metals, and allergens.

Shazly sees the possibility of doubling exports of medicinal and aromatic plants to about $600 million over 5 years from the current $316 million, which requires support for cultivating new areas to produce high-quality crops, stability in the exchange rate of the national currency against the dollar, in addition to the availability of human competencies. Two billion dollars over 5 years.

The total exports of oils derived from medicinal and aromatic plants, along with leafy herbs, reached approximately 825 million dollars last year. If there is an expansion in providing financing support at a favorable interest rate for this type of desert agriculture, the total could reach around two billion dollars within five years, according to Tarek Aboubakr, Vice President of the Export Council for Agricultural Products.

He added to "Al Arabiya Business": "In addition to the advantages of the climate in Egypt, the increase in tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump on China has created a stronger demand for importing these products from Egypt."