Egyptian agriculture crisis worsens, mainly due to lack of water

Over the past years, the area of agricultural land has declined, as sectors linked to agriculture have also deteriorated. The sector is facing additional threats, including the risk of a decline in Egypt’s share of the Nile River due to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Two years ago, the government announced its plan for the reclamation of 4m acres, including 1.5m acres in the first phase of the project. However, the announcement came without clear studies on the sources of irrigation, the targeted crops, and the mechanisms needed. Additionally, the project has not yet been implemented.

Daily News Egypt talked to agriculture and irrigation experts and specialists about the government’s performance in the sector, as the ministers of agriculture and water resources and irrigation have been replaced since Prime Minister Sherif Ismail took office.

Specialists stated that the Ministry of Agriculture did not take the necessary steps to fight corruption in the ministry, although current Minister Essam Fayed declared that there was a plan in place to fight ministry corruption.

[Full article here | Photo by Risastla]