Kampala (KAAB TV) – The Minister of Agriculture and Land Restoration in Egypt, Alaa Farooq, met with his counterpart in Senegal and Somalia, discussing the strengthening of cooperation in the field of agriculture. These meetings were held alongside the extraordinary summit of the African Union on agricultural development, which is currently underway in Kampala, Uganda.
Farooq met with Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Independence, and Livestock Resources, Mabouba Diagne, and both ministers confirmed the strong historical ties between their countries, and expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation, especially in the agricultural sector. They agreed that this cooperation includes the sharing of experience in sustainable agriculture, training opportunities, development of modern agricultural technology, promotion of agricultural research and digital transformation. They also discussed increasing trade in agricultural products and how to remove existing barriers.
The Senegalese delegation requested Egypt’s support for the development of new types of strategic crops such as wheat, maize, and rice. They also suggested that Egypt help establish a center of excellence for seed production in Senegal. In addition, Senegal is looking for Egypt’s expertise in the construction of grain storage facilities, with the possibility of a tripartite partnership involving Egypt, Senegal, and the African Development Bank.Senegal has also expressed its interest in nitrogenous fertilizers imported from Egypt. It was agreed to organize a technical meeting to develop specific areas of cooperation, along with communication with the Egyptian authorities to ensure that Senegal’s fertilizer needs are met. In addition, the Senegalese side will send a technical delegation to Egypt to study modern technology and laboratory equipment and to see the production of strategic crops.
Farooq also met with Mohamed Abdi Khair Maareye, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, where they discussed how to cooperate on agricultural issues.
The ministers discussed joint research projects focused on climate change and its impact on agriculture, as well as digital transformation, animal production, and animal species development. They also considered the development of agricultural extension services.
Both ministers emphasized the importance of sharing experience. Somalia seeks to benefit from Egypt’s experience in managing water resources, improving crop production, and controlling pests and diseases. The possibility of sending agricultural experts from Egypt to Somalia to provide technical support to farmers was discussed, along with training programs for Somali farmers and experts at the Egyptian International Agricultural Center in Cairo.
The ministers also discussed how to increase the flow of agricultural products between the two countries and how to increase business opportunities. They agreed to hold a joint technical meeting to discuss these issues and to update existing memorandums of understanding to accelerate this cooperation in the near future.Those meetings were attended by the Egyptian ambassador to Uganda, Monzer Selim; Head of the Agricultural Research Center, Adel Abdelazim; and Head of Foreign Agricultural Relations, Saad Musa.
Farooq is participating in the African Union Summit in Kampala, representing the President of Egypt, Fatah Al-Sisi, in this meeting that will last from 9-11 January.