Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi discussed on Saturday possible expansions of desert land reclamation projects with a host of officials, including Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation el-Sayed el-Qoseir, and Gen. Walid Abul Magd, the head of the National Service Products Organisation, an affiliate of the Armed Forces.
The president especially dwelt on potential expansion of desert reclamation projects in South of the Valley, Toshka and East Uweinat regions, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said.
He said the president also reviewed studies made by the difference agencies concerned about agricultural development projects in the South of the Valley region and the potential expansion of these projects.
The studies especially dwelt on the soil quality, salinity rates and water availability in this region, Ambassador Radi said.
He added that the studies aimed to assess the possibility of launching sustainable development projects in these areas.
He noted that the same studies also focused on means of utilising all the quantities of the available water in these areas.
President Sisi instructed state authorities to move ahead with the upgrade of the Research Village in Toshka and complete the infrastructure of the village on the road to turning it into a distinguished research and training centre that opens the door for the presence of qualified professionals who are capable of dealing with modern agricultural equipment and irrigation techniques as well as determining the most appropriate crops for each region, the president said.
President Sisi also reviewed studies about the ‘Integrated Agricultural Project’ in Siwa Oasis.
He instructed the concerned officials to make the optimum exploitation of the location of the project, especially pure water wells and appropriate weather conditions.
The president also instructed state authorities to provide the projects’ area with the necessary services in a way that contributes to advancing sustainable development therein.
President Sisi also reviewed during the meeting a report about the activities of the Egyptian Company for Mining, Management and Exploitation of Quarries and Salt Works, Ambassador Radi said.
The report also focused on efforts to restructure the company, including its production units around Egypt.
The restructure of the company, which will also include its marble and granite factories, aims to make the best use of quarries across Egypt, the spokesman said.
He added that the structure would also aim to raise the economic value of the materials of the quarries.
President Sisi said the company has to be able after the restructuring process to make the best exploitation of mineral resources in Egypt.
This has to be done by getting raw materials out of the quarries and manufacturing them locally, Ambassador Radi quoted the president as saying.
He said this comes within the framework of the national strategy for making the best use of raw materials available nationwide to maximise the value they add to the national economy and national income.
The president also underscored the importance of the exploitation of raw materials in creating new urban communities by making the raw materials needed for the construction of these communities available in the local market.
This will reduce imports and save the foreign currencies that used to go into the import of these materials, Ambassador Radi quoted the president as saying during the meeting.
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