Estimating the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) Model for The Most Important Egyptian Agricultural Exports to BRICS Countries

Agriculture in Egypt represents the fundamental pillar of the country’s economic and social structure, as it contributes significantly to comprehensive development and societal advancement. More than half of the population works in agriculture, and the agricultural sector plays a vital role in promoting agricultural development through vertical expansion and horizontal extension. This, in turn, increases farmers’ incomes on the one hand and achieves comprehensive economic and social development on the other. Such goals can be realized through the agricultural development plan and its essential programs aimed at increasing agricultural production and productivity, as well as expanding the volume of agricultural commodities exported to foreign markets.However, in recent years, the capacity of Egyptian agricultural exports to penetrate external markets has remained weak compared to competing countries. The problem is further reflected in the increase in Egypt’s imports from BRICS countries during the second period (2017–2023) compared to the first period (2010–2016) by approximately USD 1,643.2 million. Similarly, imports from the European Union increased by about USD 254.3 million over the same comparison periods.The study also revealed that the average value of Egypt's exports of the examined products amounted to approximately USD 848.3 million during the period (2019-2023). Fruits ranked first in terms of average export value, estimated at USD 415.8 million and representing 49.0% of total exports during the period (2019-2023). Vegetables and cotton ranked second and third, with average export values of USD 167.3 million and USD 133.8 million, respectively, corresponding to relative importance's of 19.7% and 15.8% over the same period.