Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk held a meeting on Thursday with Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom to review the implementation status and performance of joint development projects financed locally and supported by international development partners.
Officials examined progress reports on ongoing projects, stressing the importance of maximising the use of available funding and adopting effective mechanisms to empower Egyptian farmers, boost agricultural productivity and link production with agro-processing stages to ensure sustainable income and reduce crop losses.
The two ministers underscored that agro-processing represents a key driver of growth.
They noted that moving from raw agricultural production to processing can lower final product costs, reduce losses in strategic crops through integrated storage and processing systems, and increase the added value of Egyptian products in both domestic and international markets.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of linking agricultural development projects with villages participating in the presidential Decent Life Initiative. The aim is to integrate services and transform targeted villages into advanced production hubs that help raise incomes and improve living standards in rural areas.
Farouk stressed that supporting small farmers remains a top priority for the ministry, including providing technical and financial assistance, modernising irrigation systems and agricultural cooperatives, and promoting modern farming practices to improve farmers’ incomes.
For his part, Rostom pointed out that coordination between the two ministries forms part of ongoing efforts to follow up on the national rural development programme “Decent Life,” noting that the first phase is nearing completion ahead of the launch of its second phase.
