Egypt's jasmine industry under pressure - in pictures

The Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have affected the networks on which the trade relies

Jasmine flowers adorn the hair of a young woman in Shubra Beloula village in Egypt. All photos: Reuters

The village is on the Nile Delta and lies at the heart of the jasmine industry in the country. Egypt and India are the world's top two producers of jasmine.

Egypt harvests and processes the fragrant flower to extract a concentrate, which is exported abroad and used to make perfumes.

The industry employs most of the population of Shubra Beloula village during the harvesting season between June and September.

Rising temperatures, however, threaten the viability of the industry as jasmine dries out in the heat before it can reach processing centres.

The flowers now need to be harvested before the sun comes up.

Workers with head torches walk along rows of bushes in the relative cool of the night and early morning as they harvest the flowers.

The Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have also affected trade networks that the industry relies on.

Another consequence of the Ukraine war and rising inflation is that perfumes are now considered to be luxurious items.

A bee settles on harvested jasmine flowers.

Egyptian farmer El Hag Mohamed harvests jasmine flowers in a field near Shubra Beloula village.

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