(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Egypt's Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation (MoPEDIC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation held a meeting to discuss agricultural sector projects within the 2024/2025 investment plan and review the progress of the Climate-Resilient On-Farm Water Management in the Nile Valley (CROWN) project.
The meeting, held at the MoPEDIC headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, was attended by Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, IFAD Country Director for Egypt Mohamed Abdel Kader, and officials from both ministries.
Al-Mashat welcomed Farouk, emphasizing the importance of the agricultural sector to Egypt's food and water security. She highlighted the MoPEDIC's commitment to supporting the agriculture sector through government investments in the economic and social development plan and collaboration with international partners.
Al-Mashat noted that agricultural and land reclamation sector investments increased by 20% in the current fiscal year compared to the previous year. She pointed to ongoing projects, including field irrigation development with the World Bank, agricultural cluster establishment in North and South Sinai, and a treated wastewater transport system in the West Delta.
Al-Mashat also discussed projects funded by development partners, including ten projects supported by IFAD, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the United States, and others. These projects, implemented across Egypt, aim to increase farmer incomes and promote rural development. Examples include the Sustainable Agricultural Investments and Livelihoods (SAIL) project, the Sustainable Transformation for Agricultural Resilience (STAR) project in Upper Egypt, and the European Union's Integrated Rural Development Programme.
Al-Mashat emphasised the importance of the CROWN project, which consists of two components: enhancing climate adaptation through irrigation and drainage infrastructure modernization and climate-smart agriculture promotion, and integrating smallholders into resilient and profitable food value chains. She highlighted ongoing coordination between MoPEDIC, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Irrigation to advance the project.
She noted that since the launch of the“NWFE” program in 2022, MoPEDIC has coordinated with national stakeholders and development partners to execute the project timeline, leveraging IFAD's technical expertise and international experience to develop the financial framework and explore tools for private sector involvement.
The meeting also reviewed ongoing projects under the 2023-2027 Egypt-UN Strategic Partnership Framework in the agriculture sector, including projects to enhance climate-smart agriculture and agricultural biodiversity for adaptation in rural communities, as well as initiatives addressing climate change through sustainable livestock management and other initiatives contributing to food security, green transformation, and the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Farouk highlighted the continuous cooperation between the Ministries of Agriculture and Planning and International Cooperation in supporting comprehensive agricultural development projects, especially those targeting small farmers and remote rural areas.
He emphasized the importance of focusing on projects related to modernizing irrigation systems, enhancing resilience in remote areas, adapting in the North Delta, early warning systems, and crop adaptation in the Nile Valley and Delta.
Farouk added that these projects contribute to agricultural development, food security, and improving small farmers' incomes, emphasizing the vital role played by international partners, including IFAD, in supporting several important agricultural development projects executed by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Abdel Kader presented details of the CROWN project and technical discussions held with ministries and relevant entities over the past months.
In November 2023, MoPEDIC announced the release of the first follow-up report for the“NWFE” program, detailing the mobilization of international efforts for the program's projects. A joint statement, signed by 20 development partners and international institutions, affirmed continued support for national efforts to complete all projects listed on the platform and committed to ongoing cooperation for the successful implementation of the national platform for the“NWFE” program, aligning with broader global development and climate agendas.
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