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Dr Magd El-Morsi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt's New Valley governorate, announced the start of the canola harvest season in the Bir Mout 3 zone of Dakhla Centre. The launch was attended by Engineer Sayed Madani, director of the centre's agricultural department, along with a number of agricultural supervisors from the extension services department.
El-Morsi explained that canola cultivation has achieved considerable success in New Valley's farmland, given the crop's suitability to the harsh climatic and environmental conditions that make traditional winter crops unviable in the region.
He also noted that canola does not require large amounts of water, making it an ideal choice for newly reclaimed land, and described it as one of the most important strategic crops contributing to narrowing the vegetable oil production gap, stressing that expanding its cultivation represents a national priority.
The ministry undersecretary added that canola oil offers a range of health benefits, most notably:
The oil also contains vitamin E and vitamin K, and is characterised by its low saturated fat content and high proportion of monounsaturated fats, such as linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), making it one of the best dietary oils in the world.
It is worth noting that canola is planted in the first half of November, with each feddan yielding between one and one-and-a-half tonnes of seeds. The oil extraction rate ranges from half a tonne to three-quarters of a tonne per feddan, while canola oil contains 94% unsaturated fat, one of the highest proportions among vegetable oils.
Source: Dar Al Hilal