Login

Lost your password?

Sign Up

Register

Login

Login

Lost your password?

Register

Sunday, May 22, 2022
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion

Africa's
Investment
Gateway

The Exchange
  • Login
  • Register
Subscribe
This Month's Edition
Previous Editions
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
LOGIN
Pyramids fade as Egypt’s agricultural innovation takes root. [Photo/Culture Trip]

Pyramids fade as Egypt’s agricultural innovation takes root. [Photo/Culture Trip]

Pyramids fade as Egypt’s agricultural innovation takes root

Egypt is famed for its pyramids which have attracted millions of visitors every year. However, this is likely to change as the nation shifts to agriculture in earnest to improve the lives and livelihoods of its citizens.

by Joseph Kangethe
March 4, 2022
in Agribusiness, Egypt
0
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn
  • According to the World Bank, Egypt has risen to the wealthiest country in Africa, measured by GDP, which stands at US$1.38 trillion. The country has a population of 102.3 million
  • The drivers of Egypt’s economy have been gas extractives, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, media, construction, petroleum imports, and ICT sectors
  • Land reclamation is one of the pillars in ensuring food security in Egypt, and wastewater treatment will help ensure the reclaimed land’s survival

Egypt is famed for its pyramids which have attracted millions of visitors every year. However, this is likely to change as the nation shifts to agriculture in earnest to improve the lives and livelihoods of its citizens. Agriculture is a crucial driver of Egypt’s economy, contributing 11.3 per cent of the GDP.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has invested heavily in the sector to protect food security in a nation where 96 per cent of the land is dry. President Al-Sisi’s administration is working towards reducing food imports, and their efforts are proving to be successful.

According to the World Bank, Egypt has risen to the wealthiest country in Africa, measured by GDP, which stands at US$1.38 trillion. The country has a population of 102.3 million. At the time of President Fattah’s swearing-in, Egypt was not among Africa’s top 10 wealthiest nations.

Read: The Haya Karima Project to sustain Africa’s richest country

The drivers of Egypt’s economy have been gas extractives, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, media, construction, petroleum imports, and ICT sectors. Egypt has made significant steps in the agricultural sector, and one of the successes has been the Haya Karima project.

Haya Karima Project

One of the most creative and diverse projects in The National Project for Developing the Egyptian Countryside is the Haya Karima project. Haya Karima, which means Decent Life, is a national endeavour to develop the Egyptian countryside that has driven change in important sectors in the country.

President Fattah Al-Sisi launches the Haya Karima project to develop villages in the country. www.theexchange.africa
President Fattah Al-Sisi launches the Haya Karima project to develop villages in the country. [Photo/Daily News Egypt]
The National Project for Developing the Egyptian Countryside is an initiative estimated to cost US$1.11 trillion. This project will impact at least 1,350,366 households. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in January 2021 that the project would be completed in three years. US$519.28 million of the total funding will come from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The government that took power in 2014 inaugurated a series of projects to reignite Egypt’s economy. As a result, Egypt’s planning minister, Hala al-Saeed, expects the country’s economy to grow to 5.6 per cent in the FY2021-22.

Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, referred to Haya Karima as an “icon” project that will help Egypt rebuild its economy and better the lives of more than half the population in Egypt.

Haya Karima launches biogas project to produce natural gas and fertilisers

The initiative has launched a critical project to produce natural gas and fertilisers for land and livestock farmers.

The biogas project facilitators are the Good Life Foundation, the Renewable Energy Foundation and the International Cooperation Fund to produce natural gas and organic fertiliser from livestock waste.

Nearly twenty units are currently operational in the Sunbat village, one of the villages developed under the umbrella of the Haya Karima project.

The project eradicates chemicals as fertilisers in the farm, promoting good health to the consumers. Doaa Salama, the brains behind the project’s construction, said that the project produces at least three gas cylinders of fertilisers per month, serving approximately three acres of agricultural land.

For the longest time, the sustainability of agricultural production in Egypt has been tagged to reclaiming land in Egypt, and President Al-Sisi has launched initiatives driven towards the same.

Reclamation of agricultural land

The Egyptian government has been beefing up mega projects to reclaim drylands. Upon completion, the nationwide projects will reclaim 12,504 square kilometres (3 million feddans – a unit of area used in Egypt), which is about one-third of the area under cultivation in the country.

Saad Nasaar, the minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation advisor, said that Egypt’s total area under cultivation has increased from 7.8 million feddans (32,513 square kilometres) in 2000 to 9.4 million feddans (39,182 square kilometres) in 2021. “However, there still is not enough compared to the ever-growing population,” he said.

Saad added that Egypt was sufficient in producing vegetables, rice, maize, fruits, poultry, and fish, medical and aromatic plants. They, however, lacked in the production of sugar, wheat, oil and beef.

The biggest challenge in reclaiming land in Egypt has been water availability. Completing the mega projects would demand 80 billion cubic metres of water, which overruns the water resources available for irrigation, which stands at 60 billion cubic meters.

President Al-Sisi’s administration intends to tackle that hitch by prioritising wastewater treatment in Egypt.

Overcoming water challenges through wastewater treatment

Land reclamation is one of the pillars in ensuring food security in Egypt, and wastewater treatment will help ensure the reclaimed land’s survival.

Egypt opens the largest wastewater treatment plant. www.theexchange.africa
Egypt opens the largest wastewater treatment plant. [Photo/Enterprise]
In December last year, Egypt started the construction of the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant. The US$1.14 billion Bahr El Baqar project is located on the eastern side of the Suez Canal and will produce two billion cubic metres of water annually.

The project will help the government to reclaim 400,000 feddans (1,668 square kilometres). Treatment of wastewater will also reduce pollution by a substantial margin.

The government is currently establishing another US$5 billion water treatment plant in the north-western part of the country that will produce six billion cubic metres of water. The treated water will irrigate reclaimed land in the New Delta region. The project will create five million jobs, and the Ministry will grow strategic crops, including wheat, corn and vegetables.

“Plans of agricultural expansion are the strategic solution to compensate for the land Egypt has lost in the Nile Valley and Delta,” said Shaker Arafat, chairman of state-run Food Technology Research Institute.

Egypt has lost over 400,000 acres of agricultural land in 40 years in the fertile lands of the Nile Valley and Delta due to urbanisation.

Read: NIC Bank Tanzania appoints new Managing Director

The treated water is being distributed to areas without water through the canal lining projects, encouraging farmers to use flood irrigation over modern irrigation methods to save on water loss.

The Canal Lining Project

Canal lining is among 14 projects in Egypt’s National Development strategy. The lining project is estimated to save five million cubic meters in seepage losses.

The Ministry is campaigning for farmers to use flood irrigation for modern irrigation systems to ration water use. Modern irrigation currently serves roughly 236,900 acres. However, agricultural owners are requesting additional 56,650-acre coverage.

The Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Muhammad Ati said on January 15 that the country had completed lining 3,913 kilometres of irrigation canals. The Ministry was lining an additional 4,087 kilometres and had set funds aside for a further 2,783 kilometres bringing the total length covered by the project to 10,682 kilometres. The lining of canals will facilitate water distribution and management and reduce water pollution.

Poultry poses significant health threat in Egypt

Egypt is also becoming a big fish in poultry production in Africa and is currently exporting hatched eggs to Jordan and the UAE. Poultry farming, however, is posing a severe health threat due to poor disposal mechanisms of the dead “birds”.

The government of Egypt has been prioritising poultry farming as one of the critical pillars to propel food security. The Minister of Agriculture, El- Sayed el-Quseir, noted that the industry employs three million people.

President Al-Sisi’s administration has invested over US$6 billion in poultry farming.

Improper disposal of dead poultry could transmit pathogenic diseases. The FAO research shows that broiler farmers in Egypt dump more than 29 million dead chickens into the Nile River and other waterways, posing a significant threat to the water used for drinking and irrigation.

Existing agricultural and waste management laws restrict dumping, but they are poorly enforced. Proper disposal for dead birds should be based on two critical pillars in the poultry farming sector;

The business models that the poultry farmers use to breed and sell their products to the market.

The capacity of the public sector to commit to proper disposal. Composting dead poultry is one of the most viable solutions.

Composting dead poultry will have several advantages to the millions of households and the 21,000 licensed broiler farms in the country:

There will be a substantial reduction in microbial threats from dead animals, which will increase the health of livestock.

Egypt starts exporting eggs to the UAE. www.theexchange.africa
Egypt starts exporting eggs to the UAE. [Photo/Food Business Africa]
The health of livestock will raise the livelihoods of farmers.

Composting will increase the supply of fertiliser for agriculture, reducing their prices in the market.

The FAO has signed an MoU with the Poultry Farmers Union, where the FAO will provide advanced and innovative technology services to strengthen the production of biosafety and biotechnology. The organisation will also provide training and technical support for workers in the poultry sector.

Egypt kickstarts exporting eggs

Egypt announced the inauguration of hatched eggs exports to the UAE and will provide 126,000 poultry chicken hatching eggs. The head of the livestock and poultry development sector noted that chicken production exceeds the country’s needs, standing at about 1.4 billion annually, adding that this provides room for product exportation. Egypt is also exporting 95,000 hatched eggs to Jordan.

The agricultural sector’s future in Egypt looks very promising under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who believes the sector can be self-sustainable.

Read: Egypt: MoneyHash raises US$3 million for seamless payment solutions across Africa

Tags: Agriculture in EgyptEgyptegypt exports eggshaya karima projectlargest wastewater plantpoultry production in AfricapremiumPresident Fattah Al-Sisi

STATE OF ECONOMY - GET THE REPORT

ASSESSING EAST AFRICA

Loading...

Joseph Kangethe

I am a journalist who is an enthusiastic tech, business and investment news writer from across Africa. There is always something good happening in Africa but most gets lost in the stereotypes. I tell the stories that matter to the Africans for Africa. Have a tip? You can contact me at [email protected]

Related Posts

The 19 Aliko Dangote Businesses. www.theexchange.africa
Agribusiness

Aliko Dangote’s fertilizer plant answer to Africa’s Russia-Ukraine crisis worries

March 25, 2022
GALVmed and Elanco Animal Health's new initiative to combat the epidemiology of ticks in Africa. www.theexchange.africa
Agribusiness

Livestock diseases cost Sub-Saharan Africa farmers billions

March 20, 2022
Farmers in Mozambique. The purpose of agricultural value chain analysis (AVCA) is to increase efficiency, productivity and competitiveness of an agricultural sub-sector or industry. www.theexchange.africa
Agribusiness

Mapping agricultural value chain to access agro-finance

March 14, 2022
Next Post
A phosphate mine. Morocco has more than 70 per cent of the world's phosphate rock supplies. www.theexchange.africa

Morocco harnessing renewable energy enhancing its world's food supply role

The Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) has announced plans to simplify trade procedures for Avocado and Fish in the current financial year 21/22 to lower administrative burden costs for traders. www.theexchange.africa

KenTrade: Relief for Kenya's fish, avocado exporters

M-KOPA CEO Jesse Moore with staff in M-Kopa’s Kisumu office. www.theexchange.africa

M-KOPA: A decade of asset financing Africa’s poor

Please login to join discussion




This months edition

May Edition

Features

EdTech role in African development
Tech & Business

EdTech’s role in African development

by Kanyali Muthui
May 16, 2022
0

Due to the pandemic, the topic of innovation in education has never been more crucial.  While most developed countries moved...

Read more
investment in African science and technology
Tech & Business

Investing in Africa’s science and technology: Where are we now?

by Kanyali Muthui
May 16, 2022
0

The continent’s digital revolution can largely be driven by building the necessary skills for the short- and long-term future, and...

Read more
Fintech revolution in Africa
Tech & Business

The Fintech Revolution in Africa’s FX Markets

by Kanyali Muthui
May 11, 2022
0

With over 548 million registered mobile money users in sub-Saharan Africa, increased internet access and readily available mobile money solutions,...

Read more
www.theexchange.africa
Countries

US – Nigeria Trade Relations: An Overview

by Wanjiku Njugunah
May 2, 2022
0

Nigeria is currently the United States' 54th largest goods trading partner, with US$7.8 billion in total goods trade as of...

Read more
A previous conference for African Insurtech sector. The Insurtech boom is deepening insurance uptake in Africa. www.theexchange.africa
Tech & Business

Insurtech boom deepening the uptake of insurance in Africa

by june njoroge
May 2, 2022
0

Kenya-based Pula is another distinguished insurtech making waves in the continent. It provides small scale farmers with agricultural insurance and...

Read more

News

Banking
Industry & Trade
Investing
Money Deals
Regional Markets
Tech & Biz
Opinion

Countries

Kenya
Tanzania
Uganda
Burundi
Rwanda
Southern Africa
Ethiopia

More

My Account
Contact us
Advertise
About us
Help Center

Subscribers Center

E-paper
Premium Stories
Education Rates
Corporate Subscriptions
Weekely Newsletter

  • My account
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy – The Exchange
  • Sitemap

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2021 The Exchange - Powered by MediapixManaged by Supported by Digihandler,

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In