The Minister of Agriculture confirms Egypt’s permanent support for brothers from the countries of the African continent

The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation announced the conclusion of the work of the High-Level Forum on Achieving Self-Sufficiency in Rice in Africa, which was held in Cairo during the period from 7 to 9 October of this year, jointly organized by the Ministry and the African Rice Center, with high-level participation of ministers of agriculture, deputy ministers, governors, and agricultural research officials from a number of African countries, under the patronage of Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. lands, in the presence of the Director General of the African Rice Center.

 

 Agriculture" Announcing the recommendations of the participants in the African Rice Forum in Cairo  

Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, stressed the importance of this forum hosted by Egypt, which provided the opportunity for many African countries to learn about the successful Egyptian experience in this field, pointing to Egypt’s keenness to provide all forms of support to all brotherly African countries, confirming the directives of the political leadership to strengthen cooperation with other countries. The African continent.

The Minister of Agriculture stressed the importance of continental cooperation, as it is the key to food security, pointing out that Egypt is putting all its expertise to serve the African continent and achieve integration in order to achieve sustainable development in all African countries, given the continent’s enormous potential and resources.

Farouk explained that the forum has come up with many important recommendations, which will be taken into consideration. Consideration, pointing out that emphasis was placed on strengthening cooperation between African countries in the fields of agricultural technology transfer and capacity building, as well as supporting the integration of scientific research and agricultural extension and linking them to farmers in the field, improving the seed system and ensuring the availability of high-quality varieties and genetic purity.

He pointed out that the importance of developing appropriate financing mechanisms for small farmers and providing inputs at affordable prices was emphasized. Fair, promoting contract farming, supporting partnerships between the public and private sectors across the value chain, and establishing an African network of experts to coordinate efforts to develop the rice sector and follow up on implementation, in addition to adopting a continental road map to achieve self-sufficiency in rice that is consistent with the agricultural directions of the African Union.

For their part, the ministers and representatives of the participating countries stressed that achieving self-sufficiency in rice in Africa is a goal. A joint strategy that requires continental cooperation and integration, stressing that food security is a collective responsibility that places African farmers at the heart of agricultural development priorities, noting the importance of continuing coordination and implementing joint programs with the African Rice Center and the Egyptian Agricultural Research Center, which contributes to enhancing food security and achieving sustainable development on the African continent.

The forum witnessed the participation of agricultural ministers from Egypt and Guinea. Bissau, deputy ministers of agriculture from Sierra Leone and Liberia, and the governors of Niger and Jigawa states from Nigeria, in addition to representatives of the ministries of agriculture in Senegal and Nigeria, the Agricultural Research Center, and the African Rice Center team, headed by the Director General, Dr. Baba Kar Manneh.

During the forum activities, Egypt reviewed its pioneering experience in rice cultivation by developing High-yielding varieties such as Sakha Super 300 and Short 183, and the application of modern irrigation systems contributed to reducing water consumption by 30%, and achieving a productivity of 4 – 5 tons per acre, which is one of the highest global rates.

Also on the sidelines of the forum activities, the participants visited the Agricultural Museum in Dokki, in response to the invitation of Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, where they inspected the museums. The affiliate, which chronicles the development of the agricultural sector, from the beginning of history until the modern era, which confirms Egypt’s leadership in this important sector.

The activities also included a visit to the agricultural research station in Sakha, and a review of the distinguished Egyptian rice experiences, varieties and strains, and efforts to develop productivity and develop disease-resistant varieties with high productivity that are not voracious to water, as well as a visit to the rice training center, and a production and screening station. Seeds, to learn about the stages of rice seed production, in addition to seeing a model for simulating rice seedling processes, and the use of modern mechanization in the planting and harvesting processes.

The participants also visited the largest companies working in the manufacture of modern technological tools and equipment, in Tanta, to learn about the latest agricultural mechanization technologies, related to all planting and harvesting processes, and post-processing transactions. The harvest.

The participants praised the exemplary Egyptian experience in achieving a balance between high productivity and rational use of water resources, stressing the importance of transferring this model to the rest of the African countries through technical cooperation and exchange of experiences.

In a related context, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation expressed his appreciation to everyone who contributed to organizing this meeting, led by the African Rice Center and the Egyptian Agricultural Research Center, And the Field Crops Research Institute, the Rice Department, and the Ministry’s Foreign Agricultural Relations, in addition to the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, all who provided generous support to make this important event a success.

 

 

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