Irrigation Policy Reforms for Rice Cultivation in Egypt

This paper reports a fieldresearch that evaluated irrigation waterdelivery options for promoting conservativewater use in rice cultivation. Ricecultivation in the Delta region of Egypthas grown dramatically, replacing cotton asthe major summer crop. The Ministry ofWater Resources and Irrigation is findingit difficult to limit the area planted torice since rice cultivation is profitableto farmers. A socially more feasibleoption is to encourage farmers to cultivateshort-season rice varieties. The Ministrycan then adopt the policy that will provideirrigation water to the farmers to supportcultivation of 120-day rice varietiesrather than 160-day traditional varieties. The field studies conducted for two yearsin the Nile Delta conclusively show thatthis is indeed feasible. Farmers in thedemonstration canal areas were able tosuccessfully finish 120-day ricecultivation, which allowed the Ministrystaff to end the rice water delivery about35 days early and realize substantial watersavings.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]