Egypt is the world’s top grower of dates, producing 1.7 million tons of the fruit per year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Farmers say their harvests are increasingly threatened by rising temperatures, water shortages and Egypt’s booming population. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam has this photo essay on the ancient practice, with words by Elle Kurancid.
Egyptian Date Farmers Strained by Climate Change
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"I usually produce garden furniture or boxes for vegetables and fruits, but plastic is beating out all our natural products," says Eid, 28, a palm weaver and craftsman of 15 years, in Cairo, September 9, 2021. (VOA/Hamada Elrasam)
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Date farmers celebrate the harvest by paying debts and hosting weddings, in Cairo, August 20, 2021. (VOA/Hamada Elrasam)