Agriculture Minister meets Indian ambassador to foster bilateral cooperation – Dailynewsegypt
Alaa Farouk, Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, received Ajit Gupta, the Indian Ambassador to Cairo, to discuss ways to enhance agricultural cooperation and related activities between the two nations. The meeting focused on advancing the agricultural partnership between Egypt and India.
Minister Farouk emphasised Egypt’s leadership’s commitment to bolstering bilateral ties with India, particularly in utilising India’s advanced agricultural technologies, which offer high-quality, productive crop varieties. He highlighted the importance of expanding trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in agricultural exports. This includes facilitating market access for key products such as Egypt’s high-quality citrus fruits, grapes, and mulberries, already exported globally.
The minister directed the foreign agricultural relations department to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Cairo to organize business meetings between Egyptian and Indian agricultural entrepreneurs and investors. This initiative was in line with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s directives to increase agricultural cooperation, especially with friendly nations like India.
Indian Ambassador Gupta praised the existing collaboration between Egypt and India, noting the strong political ties and joint trade and agricultural committees. He highlighted India’s investments in Egypt across various sectors, including the chemical industry, energy—particularly renewable energy—and food production and seed companies operating within Egypt.
The ambassador also showcased India’s cutting-edge agricultural technologies, including the use of drones in farming and pest control operations.
During the meeting, both sides discussed the importance of cultivating alternative crops like millet, which could be mixed with wheat flour in bread production. This crop, which can be grown in marginal lands, is currently being evaluated by Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture to assess its economic feasibility compared to other crops under Egyptian conditions.
Both parties underscored the significance of agricultural processing and the value chains in olive cultivation, highlighting its substantial economic benefits for farmers and its successful cultivation in Egypt.
Minister Farouk stressed the need for collective efforts to achieve mutual trade interests, particularly in boosting agricultural trade between Egypt and India. The goal is to increase the export potential between the two nations, countering the environmental challenges posed by climate change and enhancing food security for both populations.