Main crops produced Egypt 2023, by production volume

Sugar cane was the leading crop product in Egypt's agricultural sector, with a production value of around 15.3 million metric tons in 2023. Sugar beet and wheat followed, amounting to roughly 12.7 million tons and 9.7 million metric tons, respectively. Among the 20 leading crops, only two fell under one million metric tons, namely, apples and sorghum. 

Agriculture in Egypt

Although roughly 96 percent of the land in Egypt is desert and uninhabited, agriculture in Egypt dates back to its ancient civilization. With the population growth and the country being one of the most populated in the African continent, food needs are increasing rapidly. Moreover, agriculture remains an important part of the Egyptian economy, amounting to 11.3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of 2019/2020, ranking as the third contributing sector to GDP.

Food security and a large importer of wheat

Egypt is the lowest-ranking country in the northernmost part of the African continent, with 56 points in the global food security index in 2022. Furthermore, in the three-year average between 2019 and 2021, 7.3 million people were insecure in terms of food. Bread is fundamental in the Egyptian diet. Although the country produced nine million metric tons of wheat as of 2021. The excessive demand still leads Egypt to be the largest importer of wheat in the world, with significant power over the market.