ECONOMICS OF PRODUCING AND EXPORTING MARJORAM IN EGYPT

the Marjoram crop in Egypt is one of the finest Marjoram variety produced globally and Egypt occupies the fifth position among the world's Marjoram exporting countries.The research aims at identifying the economic potential of the production and export of the crop, as well as identifying the most important indicators of competitiveness, economic profitability of the crop and the degree of contribution in the formation of the national income and foreign exchange earnings which can be relied upon to encourage increased production and exports of the crop. The results of the research showed that the export value of Marjoram crop were estimated at 30.6 million pounds, which represents about 4.8% of the total value of medicinal and aromatic plants production in 2012, as the amount of Egyptian exports of marjoram crop was about 2370 tons, which represents about 13.6% of the total Marjoram production in 2012. Total Planted area of this crop was about 6620 fed. For the period (2001-2012), which the area of winter Marjoram is representing about 56.9 % and the area of summer Marjoram is representing about 43.1%.The LSD analysis results showed that the area of winter marjoram is increasing at a statistically significant rate amounted to about 33.8% between the period (2001-2006) to (2007-2012) , the area of summer marjoram is increasing at a statistically significant rate amounted to about 299.2% between the same periods. In another hand The LSD analysis results showed that the production of winter marjoram is increasing at a non-statistically significant rate amounted to about 32.6% between the period (2001-2006) to (2007-2012) , but the production of summer marjoram is increasing at a statistically significant rate amounted to about 248.8% between the same periods. With regard to the quantity and value of Marjoram exports, as well as the export price of the crop during the two periods (2001-2006), (2007-2012), LSD analysis compare between the two periods averages, the study revealed that the amount of exports decreased from about 2837 tons as the average of the first period to about 2559 tons on average for the second period, with statistically significant rate of decrease about 9.8%, and shows the increasing value of exports of the crop from about 15580 thousand pounds asaverage for the second period, with a statistically significant increase rate of about 99.2%, the export price increased from about 5434 pounds / ton as an average for the first period to about 12141 pounds / ton as an average for the second period, with statistically significant increase rate of approximately 123.4%. Computing the instability indicators of both the amount ofproduction as well as the amount of exports and the export price of the Marjoram out there indicated that the amount of Egyptian exports is larger than it is for the size of the winter season production or the export price which indicates the presence of fixed quotas inside the main markets for the Egyptian marjoram imports. Referring to the results of competitiveness indicators of Marjoram, the relative intensification of labor was about 0.25 of the total production costs of the crop - including the rent - on average for the period (2008-2012), and the value of coefficient of domestic resource cost ( $ DRC ) for the exported ton of the crop is about L.E. 0.30, which means that Exporting Marjoram is economically profitable, and the value of the marketing efficiency index of Marjoram export (MEE) is about 67% on average in the period (2000-2012) which refers to the high efficiency of the crop export marketing. The calculation of economic profitability for the crop production and export in terms of contribution to the national income came in favor of producing and exporting Marjoram, where results indicate that the amount of net additive to the national income resulting from the production value of one pound of the crop amounted to about 0.86 pounds, and the amount of net return to the national income of spending worth one pound of local factors of production used in the production of the crop was about 3.8 pounds on average for the period (2008-2012). It also indicated that the contribution to the state income from foreign currency also positive as the value of the net return of foreign exchange from the production value of one pound of yield is about 0.91 pounds, and the value of the net return of foreign currency of one pound of domestic production inputs used in the production of the crop about 3.3 pounds on average for the same period. From the above it is clear that the expansion in the production andexport of Marjoram crop is considered to be logical and has a large economic feasibility in terms of both competitive position in the allocation of domestic resources and inputs of production, and in terms of economic profitability added to the national income and foreign exchange earnings. This leads to the recommendation of promoting the expansion of producing and exporting Marjoram.