Exports of Egyptian cotton grew 181.6 per cent from December to February this year. However, deceptive practices by some manufacturers have damaged the reputation of Egyptian cotton. The plan is to reinforce the credentials of genuine Egyptian cotton as an ethical and sustainable brand, the cultivation and production of which supports whole communities.

The integrity of supply chain will be policed to ensure full compliance, traceability and transparency. Egyptian cotton is still widely recognised as a luxury brand. Americans associate Egyptian cotton with quality and are prepared to pay a premium for it, ahead of Pima cotton, Turkish cotton and Supima.

In the past two years, Egypt has taken measures to restore seed purity and cotton quality. Egyptian cotton’s length, strength, firmness, color, trash count and maturity have all improved. If Egypt’s cotton industry returns to its previous glory, the economy would flourish, spinning and textile industries would boom, and stalled factories would reopen.

Egypt is keen on upgrading the system of cotton cultivation. A classification map for Egyptian cotton has been prepared and distributed in the governorates, showing the cultivated varieties in each governorate, their productivity, and a map of the cultivars and the approved varieties for each fork.