Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has called for intensifying inter-departmental coordination to finalise mega projects in the agricultural, irrigation and food sectors in order to reduce the effects of the global food crisis on citizens.
Directives to this effect were given by the president during his meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Moustafa
Madbouli, Agriculture Minister El-Sayed el-Qouseir, and Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam.
The meeting was devoted to reviewing the progress of implementing national projects in the agricultural and irrigation sectors, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
In remarks during the meeting, President Sisi stressed that the main aim of national projects in the sectors of agriculture, irrigation, food production and animal wealth is to meet the needs of citizens by ensuring food security, enhancing economic benefits and providing additional job opportunities.
In related directives, President Sisi called for providing all the factors that support the success of national projects.
He also urged sustained action and coordination to complete major projects in the sectors of agriculture, irrigation, agricultural and food production, and animal wealth, especially in light of the global food crisis, in a way that ensures mitigating the effects of that crisis on citizens.
The country’s agricultural modernisation programme was also contained in the review. In this connection, President Sisi was briefed on the national efforts to increase the size and productivity of Egypt’s agricultural land, as well as the government’s efforts to continue to increase crop yields, particularly in strategic crops such as wheat and corn, which are now witnessing a surge in productivity, Spokesman Fahmy said.
In this context, Sisi also followed up on national projects to enhance integrated water resources management, develop irrigation systems to ensure the rationalised use of these resources and maximise the utilisation of the capacities of water production units, the presidency spokesman said.
President Sisi then followed up on the government’s study of crop rotations and the benefits they can provide, including determining water needs and the drafting of agricultural water policy in terms of water quantity, timings, and geographical distribution.
