Luxor Egypt, Sugar cane harvesting

Here I am 3 kilometers out of the city of Luxor Egypt, this is the first bridge over one of the canals heading for the airport. this is our turning point where we are about to pay a visit to the sugar cane area all of the Nile delta has sugar cane crops here in this area is where the best of the sugar is harvested for export  and provides a large amount of income for the country/  the farmers get 235 EGP per 1000 kilo
not much when you consider the price of packet sugar in the shops in the eu.  but they get quite a good income as for Egypt.
.
Net even moved from the bridge and the road has been closed for a tractor pulling t trailers of Sugar cane 
.
and again another load  some of the tractors will take the load direct to the factory  some 26 kilometers to Qus  but mainly the sugar is transported by rail . the rail system  that is narrow guage  will take the sugar to Qus or go in the opposite direction to Isna a place more well know for its Pharaonic Temple of Knum
http://myegypttours.blogspot.com/2009/07/isna-temple_6814.html
.
 the first cut of sugar last December 09  is already growing again for next season,

Sugar cane here in Egypt has a four year growing cycle  ie  planted, when grown is cropped the dry cut grass from the cane tops is burnt in situate once the green leaves have been carted away  these have many uses mainly for animal fodder. then the new crop grows again    
.
Camels,  donkeys even cattle are used to haul the sugar to the waiting train wagons

.
Here there is part of the field ready for burning. the width of this field is about the width a farmer will own
and can be as long as one kilometer. farmers help each other to cut and this is all done by hand using a 9" curved blade. this photo shows a donkey and cart being used to haul the cane. 
.
here three lots of farmers are harvesting 3 fields  each field harvested will be put on separate wagons  because the wagon will be labeled  then weighed on arrival at the factory. 
.
Stopped for a cup of tea  in one of the villages here load after load was heading for the factory.
 harvesting is done between the months of  late November to mid May.

.
Green grass heads on there way by donkey to the villagers homes

'
Each cane loading area  has a siding  that can hold 150 wagons  each train that leaves will have from 60  to 150 (2 engines)wagons . trains leave everyday at 2.00 and 14.00 hours. so you can imagine how many kilos of cane is harvested each year. by road and rail even by barge on the Nile. and this is only from the Luxor area.

'
There is so many wagons on this one I could not get them in one frame' 

.
Farmers homes are always near the Canal or the Nile  

'
Ahmed my driver having a game of dominoes with some of the boys in the village'
 
.

'
The Nile is at its lowest some people say its the lowest it has ever been and are starting to worry  because the  harvested fields now need inundating for next years crop. the farmers here near my home have not had any water for the fields for 3 weeks and crops are already starting to wither if this happens for much longer it will effect next years harvest.
usually the canals are always at a level 1 meter higher than this  the gates are all open for when the water comes.      from the canals the water is pumped up to the required level to inundate the fields 

.
Another use for sugar cane grass .is to fire up the mud brick fire pyres. 20 thousand bricks can be baked in one pile.
.
Date palm tree cut to make a foot bridge  would not like to fall in this. channel no5  comes to mind.
all of Egypt is like this, one big rubbish dump, Find a gap and fill it in at least the animals and wildlife have a good feed.
Finish off the sugar cane series  with a couple of village  photos
 and another reason I love living in Egypt taking the good with the bad.

Arriving at our destination for this trip Garagus  near Qus,    yes" I have you all fooled.  but to make it easier  have given you a map of Egypt  we are between the City of Luxor and the town of Quena in the upper delta of Egypt

.