Experts and officials in "Food Africa" They emphasize promising opportunities to advance Egypt’s agricultural and food exports

A discussion session on enhancing competitiveness and investment opportunities in Egypt’s agricultural and food exports was launched within the activities of the second day of the “Food Africa” exhibition, today, Wednesday, with the participation of a number of governors, experts, and representatives of international organizations, the private sector, export councils, and banks.

During the session, Khaled Abdel Halim, Governor of Qena, reviewed his development vision after more than a year and a half of assuming responsibility, explaining that Qena is primarily an agricultural governorate, It includes more than 300 thousand cultivated acres, with significant expansions in land reclamation compared to the governorates of Upper Egypt. He pointed to the challenges facing the agricultural sector, such as fragmentation of ownership, weak guidance, and water problems, while the governorate possesses strong advantages, most notably the cultivation of sugar cane on an area exceeding 116 thousand acres, which includes 3 factories that produce about a third of Egypt’s sugar production, in addition to industries related to cane waste.

The governor explained that Qena has developed a comprehensive vision for transforming into a “green governorate.” Through expanding organic agriculture and supporting fertilizer manufacturing, in addition to working on solar energy projects, including the largest solar station in Nag Hammadi with a capacity of 1 gigawatt, scheduled to be operational in 2026.

He stressed the work on developing services and attracting investments, and preparing a clear investment map free of obstacles, while promoting balanced development through new projects such as the new city of Qena and West Qena, and developing rural tourism in Dendera.

He pointed to the governorate’s cooperation with international organizations such as FAO, UNIDO and international companies, and efforts to attract investments in agricultural equipment after a visit to the Chinese province of Henan.

He also reviewed the investment incentives that the governorate enjoys, including the availability of land, surface and ground water, the presence of 6 industrial zones in addition to the Qift Free Zone, in addition to the governorate’s proximity to the port of Safaga, and its possession of an ideal environment for growing medicinal and aromatic plants.

For his part, Muhammad Yaqoub, Assistant Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, confirmed (FAO) for programs in Egypt stressed the importance of supporting the competitiveness of Egyptian agricultural exports, pointing to the existing gaps in the stages of planting and harvesting and their impact on small farmers.

He reviewed the role of FAO in providing technical support to the government and implementing projects in 17 governorates through more than 1,500 field schools for farmers, which contribute to bridging the agricultural extension gap and raising productivity and sustainability of resources using modern technologies such as solar irrigation.

Yacoub pointed out the necessity of reactivating agricultural cooperatives to address the fragmentation. holdings and improving services provided to farmers, pointing to the success of the dried tomato model in Qena as an added value. He also stressed the importance of enhancing the marketing skills of farmers and associations, and spreading the concept of “product story.” To enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian products, reviewing efforts to raise the value of the product in the poorest villages through decent living programs.

In his comment on the medicinal and aromatic plants sector, Tariq Abu Bakr, head of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Division at the Agricultural Crops Export Council, said that awareness is the most important factor in developing the sector, stressing that international customer satisfaction is based on quality, price and service. He stressed the need to adhere to international standards, especially for products used directly in food, such as thyme and oregano, announcing the launch of a national project for medicinal and aromatic plants that includes training youth and establishing a technical school, a sterilization unit, and a pesticide residue laboratory, which contributes to raising the quality of the Egyptian product globally.

Yahya Al-Anani, CEO of credit at the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, also reviewed the bank’s role in supporting agricultural companies and farmers, noting that the bank — Which owns 1,100 branches and serves more than 1.5 million customers — Focuses on financing contract farming, developing product quality and reducing financing risks. He explained that the bank expanded in financing sugarcane farmers and in providing facilities supporting exports, especially to African markets.

Hisham Al-Najjar, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Daltex, spoke about the challenges of expansion in new markets, stressing that understanding the customer’s needs is a crucial element in exporting, and that value— And not the price— It is the basis for global competition. He praised the state’s role in opening new markets in non-traditional countries, stressing that compliance with international standards is necessary to protect markets and achieve sustainability. He stressed the importance of investing in training youth and re-establishing the professional culture.

Ashraf Al-Sayyid, Vice President of the Export Council for Food Industries, also stressed the importance of adopting a comprehensive strategy to develop food exports, in which the efforts of agriculture, industry, ports, control and food safety are integrated. He pointed out that food industry exports amounted to $6.2 billion last year, with a target of $7 billion this year, praising the role of trade missions in opening new markets, especially in Africa.

International expert Jan Duldersum, Director of the Global Supply Chain at “Rejek Zwaan” Company, concluded: Dutch, the session emphasized that the Egyptian market is very promising, with great opportunities for fresh crops such as lettuce and sweet peppers, and for frozen products such as strawberries and blueberries. He stressed the need to adhere to food safety and product quality standards to enhance competitiveness and increase access to European markets.

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