The midday heat mixes with the sound of the sugarcane-pressing machine and the noise of cars and passers-by. Farghali stands behind piles of carefully stacked sugarcane stalks, picking them up one after another and pushing them into the heart of the machine, which has not stopped for decades.

He fills the cup with its pale green colour and white froth, while greeting passers-by in the street with great fluency and skill, before he states to Zawia3: “We have not raised the price of the juice, but every stalk now carries a greater cost than in the past,” says Farghali, who inherited his trade from his family, dating back to the 1960s.

Now the cup of sugarcane juice suffers from inflation and the continuous rise in the prices of the inputs of this old industry, amid rising prices of fuel, transport, labour, rent, electricity, water and public services.

Meanwhile, this type of natural drink enjoys a special status in society, as popular beliefs are attached to it about its role in summer hydration, improving digestion and strengthening immunity, according to an anthropological study.

Now, the prices of cups of sugarcane juice in areas poorer than working-class neighbourhoods, such as Bulaq El-Dakrour, Ard El-Lewa and Nahia, range between EGP 14 and EGP 20 per cup, as the sales model has continued to rely on achieving a large volume of sales with limited profit margins. When the average price of a cup reached about EGP 3 in 2016, it rose to EGP 5 in 2020, then to EGP 7.5 in 2024, before settling at EGP 11 in 2025, according to calculations resulting from a field tour carried out by Zawia3.

In working-class neighbourhoods, such as Abdeen, Abbasiya and Shubra Masr, the average price of a cup rose from about EGP 4 in 2016 to EGP 6.5 in 2020, then exceeded EGP 10 in 2024, before reaching EGP 15 in 2025, and its average stands at about EGP 22.5 during 2026, with a price range of between EGP 19 and EGP 27.

The data reveal that the average price of a cup of sugarcane juice in middle-class areas such as Heliopolis, Maadi, Almaza, Masaken Sheraton and Manial was about EGP 4.5 in 2016, then rose to EGP 7.5 in 2020, and the average reached EGP 12 in 2024, before jumping to EGP 18.5 in 2025, then to about EGP 28.5 during 2026, while current prices range between EGP 24 and EGP 34 depending on the shop’s location and the level of service.

As for the areas that some classify as “upscale areas”, such as Al-Rehab, the Fifth Settlement and Sheikh Zayed, in 2016 the average price of a cup was about EGP 5.5, before it rose to EGP 9 in 2020, and with the waves of inflation it accelerated to EGP 15 in 2024, then EGP 25 in 2025, and the average price during 2026 has settled at about EGP 40 per cup, while prices range between EGP 34 and EGP 48 depending on the shop’s location and the level of service.

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The Drink of the Poor Under Threat

Sugarcane juice occupies a prominent place among traditional Egyptian drinks, and is classified among “fresh juices” and as one of the most consumed drinks, especially during the summer, as a means of hydration and of coping with high temperatures. It is part of Egyptians’ daily dietary habits and an authentic element of their consumer culture among natural drinks with a beneficial health effect, according to an academic study.

In her article on the website “Connect the Cultures”, which is concerned with shedding light on the cultures of the Middle East, Sabina Lohr recounts her discovery of sugarcane juice as an authentic part of Egyptian identity for thousands of years.

The sugarcane trade has witnessed major changes in recent years, after the cost of buying and transporting it rose continuously, according to Farghali Farghali, the owner of a sugarcane juice shop, speaking to Zawia3. He explains that the cost of filling the shop’s storeroom did not exceed a few hundred pounds 10 years ago, while today it requires between EGP 13,000 and EGP 14,000, attributing this to the increase in sugarcane prices and transport costs.

Farghali adds that sugarcane prices have risen gradually since 2016, explaining that the cost of “nawloon”, the transport of sugarcane shipments from the governorates of Upper Egypt, has doubled because of fuel prices, which was reflected directly in the cost of the final product, adding that the quantity he used to obtain at a total cost of about EGP 1,500 now costs about EGP 5,000 after calculating the price of the sugarcane and transport.

For his part, the head of the Farmers’ Syndicate, Hussein Abu Saddam, says that the rise in the prices of sugarcane intended for juice shops is not linked to a decline in cultivated areas, explaining that sugarcane cultivation in Egypt is subject to a regulatory policy that prevents its expansion outside the governorates of Upper Egypt because of its high water consumption, and therefore the areas, according to Abu Saddam, remain stable at about 370,000 feddans without major increases or declines.

He explains to Zawia3 that sugarcane cultivation is concentrated in the governorates of Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan, while expanding its cultivation in Lower Egypt is prohibited, as part of a policy aimed at rationalising the use of water resources, whereas the cultivation of sugar beet is being expanded, as it consumes less water and can be grown on new lands.

He points out that the sugarcane crop is a perennial crop, as it remains in the ground for about 5 years, while the farmer cannot easily replace it with another crop, because he bears the largest part of the cultivation costs during the first year.

He states that the current rise in the prices of the sugarcane that reaches juice shops is linked to the nature of the season, explaining that cane-cutting operations begin with limited quantities before the season is complete, which makes the available quantities small and their prices higher, especially since juice shop owners buy their needs from the free market in limited quantities, unlike sugar factories, which contract for large quantities during the supply season.

Sugarcane is not only a summer drink; it is rich in antioxidants that help protect cells and reduce inflammation, and it also supports the functions of the liver, kidneys and urinary system, and contributes to hydrating the body and replenishing its energy thanks to its content of natural sugars and minerals. It is associated with strengthening immunity and improving the health of the skin and teeth, and some of its compounds may help lower harmful cholesterol and support the health of the heart and blood vessels, and it has protective properties against some types of cancer, with the possibility of some diabetics consuming it after consulting a doctor, according to an academic study.

For decades, sugarcane juice has remained one of the drinks most associated with summer in Egypt, according to Mohamed Hosny, a worker at a sugarcane juice shop on Magles El-Omma Street, but he believes that demand for it is ultimately linked to consumers’ preferences, noting that sugarcane is one of the natural drinks that many people prefer, to the extent that some diabetics order small quantities of it after consulting their doctors.

Hosny explains to Zawia3 that the quality and taste of sugarcane differ according to the agricultural season, as its sugar content rises during some months of the year and falls in others, pointing out that increased demand from sugar factories and juice shops sometimes pushes traders to put immature sugarcane on the market, which is reflected in the taste and prompts complaints from some consumers who expect a sweeter taste.

He states that sugarcane by its nature contains no added sugars, unlike some other juices that consumers may prefer for their sweeter taste, considering that the difference in demand is ultimately linked to the personal taste of each customer.

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Sugarcane Juice and Titanium

Recently, controversy arose over some sugarcane juice shops using titanium dioxide to whiten the juice, after the regulatory agencies in Qalyubia Governorate announced the seizure of quantities of the substance, which was described as carcinogenic, and the matter was repeated in Assiut Governorate after it was seized inside a sugarcane juice shop.

Farghali Farghali says that it is a substance permitted for use in the food industries, besides not being banned, as it is sold by all herbalists, stating that its use is safe if done in the prescribed proportions, and pointing out that the price of a kilogram of the substance exceeds EGP 600, explaining that its price would be a burden on sugarcane juice shop owners if they decided to use it, on top of their current burdens.

Mohamed Hosny, meanwhile, adds that these rumours about sugarcane juice shops have directly affected sales, explaining that many customers have become hesitant before buying, even though shop owners, according to him, make a point of reassuring them and explaining the nature of the product, adding that the cost of some of the substances around which controversy has arisen is already high and does not represent an economical option for owners of small shops.

In this regard, consultant for small and medium productive enterprises Dr Mahmoud Ibrahim El-Samman says that the change in the colour of sugarcane juice immediately after pressing is a natural phenomenon resulting from the reaction of enzymes and phenolic compounds with oxygen, and is not evidence that the juice has spoiled or that its quality has declined.

He adds to Zawia3 that “titanium” is used as a food additive and colourant in some food and pharmaceutical industries, but it has become the subject of scientific review in recent years, which prompted the European Union to ban its use as a food additive since 2022, while the US Food and Drug Administration still permits its use under specific controls.

He states that judging whether sugarcane juice contains this substance cannot be done through its colour, as the colour of the juice is affected by many factors, including the quality of the sugarcane, the temperature and the storage period, pointing out that proving the presence of any additive requires specialised laboratory tests, and that food safety is linked to adherence to regulatory standards and not being swept along by rumours unsupported by scientific evidence.

The Suffering of the Customer, the Seller and the Farmer

Sugarcane juice shop owners do not raise prices of their own accord, but rather pass on part of the increases they bear, after the cost of the links in the supply chain rose, starting from the farmer and the trader and up to transport and labour, according to Bishoy Magdy, a worker at a sugarcane juice shop in the El-Matbaa area, who adds: “Whenever fuel prices rise, the cost of transport rises, and consequently juice prices rise, because the profit margin has become extremely limited.”

He adds to Zawia3 that juice shop owners also face a large rise in operating costs, especially commercial electricity and water bills and workers’ wages, pointing out that some shops barely cover their expenses, while the winter months turn into a financial burden that pushes some owners to borrow to get through the period of low sales.

The electricity tariff for commercial shops varies according to the volume of monthly consumption, as the price of a kilowatt-hour is 162 piastres for the bracket whose consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours per month, while the tariff reaches 279 piastres per kilowatt-hour for shops whose consumption exceeds 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month.

Meanwhile, one of the customers Zawia3 spoke to believes that sugarcane juice is no longer the low-cost popular drink it used to be, as going out with the family to have juice has become a burden for many families amid declining purchasing power and rising prices of basic goods.

He explains that the priority for most citizens has now become providing essential needs, while spending allocated to entertainment or having drinks outside the home has declined.

During the current summer, demand at sugarcane juice shops has declined noticeably compared with previous years, according to Salama Awad, a worker at a sugarcane juice shop in Darb El-Atrak, who explains that whereas in the past the shop used to receive about 20 customers an hour during peak periods, the number has now dropped to only about 5 customers, while the largest part of sales relies on regular customers who know the shop and trust it.

He adds to Zawia3 that the difference in juice prices between areas is not due to a difference in the product so much as it is linked to operating costs, foremost among them the value of rents.

He explains that shops located in working-class areas are forced to maintain low prices that suit the purchasing power of residents, while prices rise in higher-cost areas such as Heliopolis and the Fifth Settlement because of higher rents and operating expenses, stating that the price of a single cup may double from one area to another according to these economic considerations, and not because of a difference in the quality of the product.

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Problems Hovering Around Sugarcane

Agricultural engineer Omar Azab says that the high cost of producing sugarcane is not linked to water consumption, as some believe, but is mainly due to the increase in the prices of production inputs, foremost among them fertilisers, which agricultural cooperatives no longer provide in the required quantities, forcing farmers to buy them from private companies at much higher prices.

He explains to Zawia3 that the average productivity of a feddan of sugarcane ranges between 40 and 50 tonnes, while the price of a tonne ranges between EGP 2,500 and EGP 3,000 depending on quality and region, pointing out that Upper Egypt’s sugarcane enjoys a higher value because of the quality of the crop and its high sugar content resulting from the nature of the climate.

He states that agricultural cooperatives do not adequately provide farmers’ needs of azotic and nitrogenous fertilisers, noting that in the past the farmer used to obtain most of his needs from the cooperative, while he is now forced to buy commercial fertilisers, the price of a sack of which may reach 5 times the price of a subsidised sack, which raises production costs significantly.

He adds that potassium fertilisers, which are an essential element for increasing the size of the sugarcane stalks and raising the sugar content of the crop, are not dispensed by agricultural cooperatives at all, and farmers are forced to buy them from the market, while the cost of a single application per feddan ranges between EGP 3,000 and EGP 4,000 for local products, and may reach about EGP 6,000 for higher-quality types, with the need to repeat the application in several batches during the season.

He believes that the current supply price for sugarcane (2,500 per tonne) is rewarding for the farmer if he obtains subsidised production inputs, but it becomes less profitable when he is forced to buy fertilisers and inputs from the free market, which noticeably shrinks the profit margin.

He points out that the large increase in sugarcane juice prices is not borne by the farmer alone, explaining that a considerable part of the price difference results from the links of trading, transport, distribution and profit margins until the product reaches juice shops.

The head of the Farmers’ Syndicate adds that Egypt annually produces about one million tonnes of sugar from sugarcane, against local needs of about 3.2 million tonnes, while the largest part of the gap is covered through sugar beet production and imports, noting that the state’s current orientation is based on increasing sugar production from beet to achieve a greater degree of self-sufficiency and reduce pressure on water resources.

On the cost of production, Abu Saddam points out that during the current season the government reduced the quota of subsidised fertilisers allocated to a feddan of sugarcane from 11 sacks to only 5, which forced farmers to buy the remaining quantities from the free market at higher prices.

He explains that the price of a sack of fertiliser at the agricultural cooperatives is about EGP 290, while its price on the market may reach about EGP 1,200, which raises production costs and puts pressure on the farmer’s profit margin.

He affirms that this rise in the costs of production inputs pushed the Farmers’ Syndicate to demand that the supply price of a tonne of sugarcane be raised to EGP 3,000 in the next season, compared with EGP 2,500 during the current season, explaining that the government buys the crop by the tonne, while the average productivity of a feddan ranges between 35 and 50 tonnes depending on the quality of the land and the level of agricultural care.

The average productivity of a hectare (about 2.5 feddans) planted with sugarcane in Upper Egypt is about 125 tonnes, and part of this huge production is directed to juice shops, according to a specialised study.

The head of the Farmers’ Syndicate states that sugarcane is harvested once a year after remaining about 12 months in the ground, pointing out that it is a crop with a high water requirement, as a feddan may consume about 12,000 cubic metres of water annually, which explains the continued restrictions on expanding its cultivation outside the governorates of Upper Egypt, according to Abu Saddam.

Sugarcane cultivation in Egypt has declined, as the average cultivated area in 2006 was about 326,500 feddans, and it fell to about 303,000 feddans in 2024. The productivity of a feddan also declined to 43.5 tonnes in 2024, while in 2006 it was about 51 tonnes, so total production fell from about 17 million tonnes in 2007 to 13.2 million tonnes in 2024, coinciding with a decline in the contribution of cane sugar to total local sugar production from 68% to 29%, according to an Egyptian study.

A feddan planted with sugarcane consumes 15,000 to 23,000 cubic metres of water annually, at temperatures of 27–37 degrees Celsius, while the average productivity of a feddan is about 48 tonnes, and its most prominent problems are the high prices of fertilisers, rents and labour wages, besides a shortage of labour, according to an Egyptian study.

Agricultural engineer Omar Azab, however, denies that sugarcane is one of the most water-consuming crops, as is commonly believed, explaining that its water needs are linked to the growth stage, as irrigation is gradually reduced at the end of the season to raise the sugar content inside the stalks, while excessive irrigation during this stage leads to a lower sugar concentration in the crop.

The agricultural engineer calls for expanding the use of modern irrigation systems, such as centre-pivot irrigation and drip irrigation, stressing that they are capable of reducing water and fertiliser consumption by large percentages, in addition to reducing infestation by some pests and root rot, which is ultimately reflected in lower production costs and improved crop quality, despite the high initial cost of installing these systems.

The average net return of a feddan of sugarcane is about EGP 30,000 during 2020-2024, with revenues of about EGP 61,000 and costs of about EGP 31,000, as a feddan of sugarcane needs an average of about 10,300 cubic metres of water, while “drip irrigation” achieves the highest water efficiency, with production reaching 7.57 kilograms per cubic metre of water, compared with only 4.43 kilograms in flood irrigation, according to an Egyptian study.

Professor of water and soil at Cairo University Nader Noureddine warns of the continued decline of sugarcane cultivation in the governorates of Upper Egypt, after the cultivated area fell, by his estimate, from about 330,000 feddans to about 170,000 feddans, as a result of the challenges facing farmers.

Noureddine states in a post on his personal “Facebook” page that sugarcane is the crop most suited to the climatic conditions of Upper Egypt, especially with high temperatures, and that its decline may limit the agricultural use of land throughout the year, in addition to its impact on the sustainability of cane sugar factories and the labour linked to them.

Zawia3 tried to contact Noureddine, but all attempts were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the university professor believes in his post that a feddan of sugarcane consumes about 10,000 to 12,000 cubic metres of water annually, against about 8,000 cubic metres for a feddan of sugar beet over a shorter agricultural cycle, while a feddan of sugarcane produces about two and a half times as much sugar as a feddan of beet, in addition to its distinction in quality and taste.

He also points out that sugarcane does not compete with strategic crops in the Delta, and provides a chain of by-products, including molasses, ethanol, acetone, vinegar, brown sugar and bagasse, which is used as fuel and organic fertiliser.

He adds that reducing the fertiliser allocations for a feddan of sugarcane from 13 to 5 sacks of nitrogen fertiliser annually increases the pressure on farmers and threatens the continued cultivation of the crop, demanding that agricultural policies be based on scientific studies and the views of specialised experts, in a way that achieves a balance between managing water resources and preserving one of the most important strategic crops in Upper Egypt.

Farghali pushes another sugarcane stalk into the machine, then fills a new cup for a customer who has come in fleeing the July heat. The taste of the juice has not changed much, but the price of reaching this cup has changed completely. Between the sugarcane stalk coming out of the fields of Upper Egypt and the pressing machine in the heart of Cairo stretches a long journey of increases and costs, ending in a cup that still quenches the thirst of ordinary people, but is no longer as simple as they knew it for many years.

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