SAHARA 2024

The Exhibition

SAHARA, the most important agricultural and animal husbandry trade fair for Africa and the Middle East, will take place from 15th to 17th September 2024 in Cairo/Egypt under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. Participation in the trade fair facilitates access to new markets and offers valuable networking and business opportunities as the trade fair has enjoyed strong international participation from exhibitors and visitors from Africa, Europe and Asia for over 30 years.

At the last edition, 225 exhibitors from 22 countries presented their latest products and services to 17,000 visitors from Egypt and neighboring countries. The Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, El-Sayed El-Quseir, opened the exhibition in the presence of Dr. Sherif Al-Jabali, the President of the Chemical Industry Chamber of the Industry Association. Several delegations from Africa and other regions visited the fair.

The Market

Agriculture is one of Egypt’s most important economic sectors, accounting for 11.4% of GDP and 23.3% of jobs. The most important agricultural raw materials include rice, wheat, corn, cotton, sugar cane and crops such as vegetables, fruits and dates.

Egypt’s territory is dominated by desert areas. Lack of rainfall and drought are making the situation for agriculture much more difficult. Beyond the Nile, agriculture and livestock farming rely on artificial irrigation systems.

Although harvesting is possible several times a year, the agricultural production is not enough for self-sufficiency. Agricultural production is also strongly export-oriented. Egypt is the world’s most important exporter of long-fiber cotton. Therefore, in order to ensure the supply of the population, Egypt is dependent on a large number of imports, for example of wheat and corn.

The Ministry of Agriculture aims to increase the country’s self-sufficiency. To control cultivation, the Egyptian state sets purchase prices for various crops. Raising or lowering these prices incentivizes planting. In addition, temporary import and export duties on sugar, for example, serve to ensure supplies to the internal market at reasonable costs.