Egypt

Egypt has traditionally been the leading source of ELS cotton and still has a deserved reputation for producing some of the finest varieties at competitive prices. Today it remains the second largest exporter of ELS cotton to the world markets.

Reinhart has been strongly involved in Egyptian cotton since 1907 when Reinhart & Co. was founded in Alexandria. It soon grew into one of the largest Egyptian cotton exporters, active in ginning as well as financing of cotton production. After the revolution of President Nasser, the country became less friendly to foreign investment, and in 1963 Reinhart & Co., Alexandria was nationalized. Despite this set-back, Reinhart has always kept its good connections in Egypt and has successfully maintained its position as a major trader of Egyptian cotton.

Today Egypt is producing cotton in a wide range of qualities and staple lengths from 1.5/32” up to 1.1/2”. The following table gives a short overview of the available varieties:

Variety	Staple Length	Place of production	Remarks
Giza 80	1.5/32" - 1.3/16"	Upper Egypt
Giza 90	1.5/32" - 1.3/16"	Upper Egypt
Giza 86	1.7/32" - 1.1/4"	Nile Delta	about 60% of total Egyptian production
Giza 88	1.3/8" - 1.1/2"	Nile Delta	about 25% of total Egyptian production
Giza 87	1.7/16" - 1.1./2"	Nile Delta	very small quantity
Giza 45	1.7/16" - 1.1/2"	Nile Delta	very small quantity, seed related to Sea Island cotton

All Egyptian cotton is handpicked and roller ginned (which is the best method to maintain quality) in order to preserve its unique fiber characteristics. The varieties Giza 87 and Giza 45 are among the finest types of cotton in the world. They are planted on a very limited scale and sold at a price about five times higher than prices for normal upland cottons.

For decades growing cotton has been an important part of the Egyptian economy. Cotton was Egypt’s number one export product for many years, and still remains a very important source of cash income for the Egyptian farmer. In the countryside, cotton is a way of life since the needs of the cotton plant during its vegetative cycle influence many aspects of the daily life of small farmers in the Nile Delta and the Nile Valley.