Abstract
Abstract The present research demonstrates the concept of value added in general and agricultural value added in particular, and demonstrates the importance of value added with regard to economy. Also, several techniques through which the value is added to the agricultural products were defined in this study. Moreover, the research includes the economic performance indicators of countries of sample, i.e. Egypt, Syria and Algeria, from 1980 to 2002. These indicators dealt with development of agricultural value added, local product and individual's share of such product, agricultural product and individual's share of such product as well as the individual and agricultural labors' shares of the agricultural value added. In this research, many economic variables in the agricultural value added were determined and measured from 1980 to 2002 for each sample countries. Through these variables, the following hypothesis has been proved: The agricultural value added is affected by many economic variables and affects differently according to the economic conditions for each country and agricultural policies followed in this respect, in addition to the role and importance of agricultural sector in each country. .
