Rania Al-Mashat: Agricultural projects contribute to achieving comprehensive rural development
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, stressed the importance of the projects implemented with the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization, explaining that they contributed to strengthening the state’s efforts in achieving the concept of comprehensive rural development and raising the standard of living of farmers, especially smallholders. And providing job opportunities.
This came within the framework of Rania Al-Mashat’s inspection visit to the sustainable agricultural investments project in Minya, with the participation of Dr. Hani Sweilem, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Alaa Farouk, and the Minister of Agriculture. Land Reclamation, and the Governor of Minya, for the West Samalout region, to inspect the work of developing irrigation in the Tarfa line, solar energy stations, and models of a number of field schools and crops.
She added – during her inspection of the work of developing irrigation and solar energy stations – that the project comes in An integrated support framework and partnership between the Egyptian government, the United Nations and its agencies through joint programs and coordination of efforts between UN agencies.
She stressed that developing irrigation and solar energy systems is one of the basics for achieving agricultural sustainability in Egypt, noting the efforts of the Egyptian government to exploit water resources effectively and support farmers with modern technologies that guarantee them higher productivity.
She pointed to the integration of efforts between national authorities represented by the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, in order to enhance sustainability. In the agricultural and irrigation sectors, noting that among the project’s achievements is the implementation of irrigation development works from flood irrigation to drip irrigation for an area of 1,248 acres in the Tarfa line in the West Samalut region in Central Egypt using Solar energy, within the framework of the project, noting the start of work on stations 12 and 13 to irrigate an area of another 2,160 acres in the Tarfa line, along with the start of work to develop the Safar station with an area of 981 acres.
She said that work is underway to implement irrigation development work for two branches. On the Tarfa line, with a total area of 1,105 acres, explaining that – within the framework of the project – 12 assembled solar energy units were supplied for development work. Irrigation at Station 14 in Minya, with the supply and installation of 40 pumps and solar panels in the Upper Egypt region, to convert irrigation systems from flood irrigation to drip irrigation for 135 farmers on an area of 675 acres.
Rania Al-Mashat explained – during her tour to inspect models of schools Field and agriculture – The project focuses on the methodology of field schools for farmers, which focuses on collective and market-based agricultural extension and participatory learning, pointing to cooperation With the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to implement 172 new field schools in the project’s work areas, including plant, animal, and climate change schools.
She stressed that developing the governorates of Upper Egypt is the Egyptian state’s top priority, noting that the investments allocated to the governorates of Upper Egypt The plan for the current fiscal year amounts to 62.4 billion pounds, including 7.4 billion pounds for Minya Governorate, at a rate of 11%.
She noted the major role played by the initiative. Presidency “a decent life” At the level of achieving integrated development in the countryside, especially in the regions of Upper Egypt, where financial allocations to the governorates of Upper Egypt in the first phase of the initiative amount to about 237 billion pounds, including 43.2 billion pounds for Minya Governorate only, noting the effective contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic product by 12%, making it It is one of the most contributing sectors.
She explained that enhancing sustainability in the agricultural and irrigation sectors stimulates job creation and supports economic development.
It is worth noting that Through the project, 240 stakeholders in the governorates are trained to raise awareness of the needs of smallholder farmers, with 125 beneficiaries from local communities trained on how to effectively promote the practices and technology of climate-smart agricultural techniques (CSA) and natural resource management (NRM) through the implementation of 66 A field school for farmers and a number of senior agricultural managers and supervisors.
