CAIRO – 28 March 2019: In an attempt to restore Egypt’s pioneering status in cotton industry, the government is working on upgrading cotton gins in the spinning and textile factories nationwide.

In his inspection tour in Fayoum governorate, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly announced that the government is paying more attention to the Egyptian cotton sector.
“The technological development will increase the production of pure cotton,” said Minister of Public Business Sector Hesham Tawfiq during the inspection tour.

Fayoum governorate has two cotton gins, including a closed one due to environmental and technical reasons. Meanwhile, the second gin is being upgraded and will be inaugurated soon.

Eleven cotton gins are being developed nationwide to increase cotton production by threefold to reach 4 million kantars by the end of 2021, said Tawfiq.

Kantar is an Egyptian weight measure of cotton as one kantar equals 45.2 kilograms.
The cost of upgrading one gin reaches LE 250 million ($14.4 million), he added.
Egyptian cotton production has declined during former President Hosni Mubarak’s tenure amid the absence of government subsidy and lack of marketing.

Although the government is trying to upgrade the cotton gins, it goes to promote short-stable cotton rather than its popular long-stable cotton. In November 2018, Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar said in the Parliament that the cultivation of short-stable cotton is essential for the local textile industry.

On January 17, 2018, former Minister of Trade and Industry TareK Qabil said Egypt’s long-stable cotton share a value of global market that represents 2 percent and Egypt exports 30 percent of cotton production.