The crops of onion and garlic hold significant economic and strategic importance for Egypt among vegetable crops, particularly due to their export potential and role in providing foreign currency. Each crop occupies a distinguished position within the vegetable category, with Fayoum Governorate ranking ninth nationally in terms of cultivated area for both crops. The average cultivated area for onion and garlic in Egypt is approximately 168.56 and 33.83 thousand feddans, respectively. In Fayoum, these figures are around 15.15 and 5.96 thousand feddans, representing about 8.99% and 17.62% of the total cultivated area for onions and garlic in Egypt, respectively. Additionally, the average total production of these crops in Egypt is about 2,561.31 and 335.36 thousand tons, respectively, while in Fayoum, it amounts to approximately 229.85 and 57.63 thousand tons, accounting for around 8.97% and 17.18% of the total onion and garlic production in Egypt over the period (2008-2022).
Despite the importance of onion and garlic in the crop composition of Fayoum Governorate, a recent decline in cultivated area has been observed for both crops in the 2022/2023 season, dropping from approximately 19.7 and 18.1 thousand feddans in the 2021/2022 season to about 9.18 and 8.20 thousand feddans, respectively. This decline, along with reduced marketing efficiency for these crops in the study sample, has led to an overall increase in prices throughout the production season, largely due to the increased marketing margin for intermediaries. This situation negatively impacts the economic and marketing efficiency of producers in Fayoum Governorate.
The research aims to improve the efficiency of resource utilization in the production of onion and garlic crops to achieve the maximum possible return, as these crops are characterized by fast cash returns and are considered promising export crops. The study revealed that cultivating onion and garlic in new lands yields better results compared to old lands in terms of price indicators and net returns. Conversely, old lands demonstrate lower production cost indicators compared to new lands in the study sample.