Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, discussed with Mafa Chipeta, former international expert at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and Baboucarr Manneh, President of the Africa Rice Centre, ways for bolstering agricultural development strategies in Egypt and fostering partnerships and investments with African nations.
Minister Farouk underscored the government’s dedication to achieving food security and sustainable development. He emphasised efforts to boost the productivity of strategic crops, improve farmers’ incomes, and increase the competitiveness of Egyptian agricultural products in international markets.
He also highlighted President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to strengthen co-operation and partnerships across Africa, reiterating Egypt’s role as an integral part of the continent. Farouk stressed that joint integration and coordination are crucial for positive development outcomes throughout Africa.
Minister Farouk announced the formation of a committee-including members of parliament, investors, experts, and scientists-to identify ways to encourage Egyptian investment in other African nations. He highlighted the potential for international experts to collaborate with this committee on developing effective strategies.
He also stressed Egypt’s commitment to involving the private sector in development efforts, citing various measures taken to improve the investment climate.
Manneh, President of the Africa Rice Centre (headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire), expressed his pleasure with the meeting. He outlined his center’s structure and operations, and proposed organising a scientific investment forum in Cairo by the end of 2025. This forum, to be held in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and other regional and international organizations, aims to create a mechanism for expanding rice cultivation, increasing agricultural investment in the sector across African countries, and transferring Egyptian expertise to enhance African food security. Minister Farouk assigned the Ministry of Foreign Agricultural Relations to coordinate with the Africa Rice Centre on this initiative.
Chipeta praised Egypt’s efforts in agricultural development. He shared international experiences in designing and implementing effective agricultural strategies, focusing on innovation, sustainability, climate change adaptation, and the crucial role of the private sector and local communities in development and boosting strategic crop productivity.
The meeting also addressed enhancing investment in climate-smart agriculture, developing agricultural value chains, supporting small farmers, improving resource management, and applying modern technology to increase production efficiency. Discussions emphasised the importance of continued technical co-operation and expertise exchange between the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and relevant international bodies.
