DETERMINANTS OF CEREAL CONSUMPTION IN EGYPT AND SOME MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES

Abstract

This study depend on the results of the study prepared by the World Bank (WB), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in order to indicate and analyze the average individual cereal consumption in Egypt and some neighboring countries. The consumption of wheat is ranked first in all countries of the study sample. Consumption of maize comes in second place after consumption of wheat in the countries of the study sample in Africa continent. Consumption of rice is also comes second only to consumption of wheat in the sample countries in Asia continent.

The difference between the average cereal consumption in Egypt and the average cereal consumption in Algeria was about 35.2 kg. This difference is attributed to the total determinants studied as follows: 6.2% due to the percentage of average years of education, 87.3% 17.8% attributable to the percentage of average per capita consumption of maize, -27.5% attributable to the percentage of average per capita consumption of wheat, 11.2% attributed to the percentage of corn / rice import price. In general, it is found that the percentage of rural / urban population is primarily responsible for the difference between the average cereal consumption in Egypt and the average cereal consumption in Egypt's neighboring countries, followed by average per capita consumption of wheat and average per capita consumption of maize.