Egypt’s cotton exports are expected to increase nearly 37 per cent from last year. Next year exports are expected to rise by 40 per cent to 45 per cent. Output fell drastically in 2011, when political upheaval meant regulations to maintain quality were not enforced. But demand for Egyptian product, known locally as white gold, has picked up as rules to ensure quality have been strictly imposed since 2016.

Egypt is the world’s second largest exporter of long-staple cotton, used mainly to make luxury linens, behind the United States. Sunny skies and superior seed produce a cotton with unusually long fibers used to make light and durable fabrics with a sheen and soft touch. Egypt planted 141,120 hectares of long-staple cotton in 2018, up from 92400 hectares in 2017.

The cultivation area has widened. Cotton cultivation could expand further as farmers are encouraged to avoid water intensive crops, such as rice, to prevent shortages as Ethiopia prepares to start filling a huge dam on the Nile, considered Egypt’s lifeline.

Egyptian cotton has received a further boost with the 2016 devaluation of the pound, which lost roughly half its value against the dollar, making exports more competitive globally.