Local production of fruits and vegetables has fallen by more than 70 percent compared to last year, according to a report issued recently by the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), which attributed the marked decrease to "adverse climatic changes."
The report, which will be presented to the agriculture minister later this week, goes on to note that market supply had been vastly reduced as a consequence of waning production, causing retail prices to rise by more than 300 percent on last year.
“We've changed cultivation start dates for next season so as to avoid anticipated heat waves,” said ARC Director Ayman Abu Hadid.
Nader al-Banna, director of the ARC's agricultural productivity department, said that heat waves this year had caused Egypt's tomato production to plummet from 40 tons per acre to 15 tons per acre.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
