Agriculture and Land Reclamation Minister Alaa Farouk on Tuesday attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Egypt’s Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) and Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA).
The MoU is part of the ministry’s efforts to expand international co-operation and harness modern technologies to support the agricultural sector and strengthen food security, according to a press release.
The MoU was signed by ARC Head Adel Abdel-Azim, on behalf of Egypt, and INTA Board President Nicolás Bronzovich on behalf of Argentina.
The ceremony was attended by Argentina’s Ambassador in Cairo Holger Martinsen and ARC Vice President Saad Moussa, who also supervises the centre’s foreign agricultural relations.
The agreement is part of Egypt’s strategy to enhance research partnerships with leading global agricultural powers, transfer the latest agricultural technologies and adapt them for local application to address climate challenges and ensure sustainable production, Minister Farouk said.
Co-operation with Argentina would focus on several priority areas, particularly the development of high-yielding crop varieties capable of withstanding environmental and climate stresses, as well as the application of modern biotechnology, he added.
The co-operation will also cover the development of irrigation techniques, rationalising water use, reducing post-harvest losses, aquaculture, plant and animal health, and the production of nitrogen-based fertilisers.
