Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Amin Abaza announced the formation of a high committee for organic produce to oversee both local and exported organic products. The committee will draw up a strategy and launch campaigns to ensure that organic products conform to organic agriculture standards, and to test samples of products available in the market. Ayman Farid Abu Hadid, head of the Agricultural Research Center, who will head the committee, told reporters yesterday that the campaigns will ensure the application of local and international standards. Abu Hadid stated that the government aims to prevent products which are not in fact organic from being labeled as such. Abu Hadid indicated that he has drawn up a national plan to cultivate organic agriculture in new areas for exportation and that a research program has been established to increase crop productivity. He also revealed that a new regulation overseeing the circulation of agricultural products will be reviewed by Abaza. “The Agriculture ministry is currently working on a new law to organize the circulation of organic agricultural products to be reviewed by the cabinet and the parliament to ensure organic agricultural standards are applied,” said Abu Hadid. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
