Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk received Australian Ambassador to Cairo Axel Wabenhorst on Wednesday to mark the end of the ambassador’s tenure in Egypt.
At the outset of the meeting, Farouk expressed his appreciation for the tangible efforts made by the Australian ambassador during his tenure to boost bilateral relations between Egypt and Australia.
He reaffirmed Egypt’s full commitment to expanding co-operation with Australia in agricultural, research and development fields and linking such cooperation to the country’s major national projects.
Farouk reviewed the government’s efforts to strengthen food security, increase wheat productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.
He also highlighted the fertiliser sector and growing regional demand for fertilisers amid the current geopolitical circumstances.
The minister stressed the government’s commitment to supporting small-scale farmers, particularly those with landholdings of less than 2.5 qirats, to ease the burdens they face and raise productivity.
He also underscored continued efforts to develop the agricultural support system to ensure that assistance reaches eligible beneficiaries efficiently, while promoting investment and improving the overall investment climate.
For his part, the Australian ambassador expressed his appreciation for the fruitful co-operation and support he received from the Ministry of Agriculture during his tenure in Cairo. He reaffirmed the strength and depth of relations between Egypt and Australia.
Wabenhorst also announced that an Australian delegation is scheduled to visit Egypt next week as part of the Australian International Agricultural Research Co-operation Programme. The visit will explore co-operation initiatives in aquaculture and climate adaptation in coordination with the WorldFish centre, as well as the development of solutions to address the water gap and improve irrigation efficiency.
The ambassador also highlighted opportunities for joint co-operation in water resources management technologies and smart agriculture, with a view to implementing a pilot project that could be integrated with Egypt’s major national agricultural projects.
