Elsayed Elkosayer, Minister of Agriculture & Land Reclamation, inaugurated on Sunday the 34th edition of the International Exhibition for Agriculture and Food for Africa and the Middle East "Sahara Expo". This year will witness the participation of 170 companies specialized in agricultural fields from 20 different countries. The exhibition will last for 4 days from 11 to 14 September, at Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC) in New Cairo and it is organized by "Informa Markets", the leading organizer of exhibitions around the world. Elkosayer praised the expo organization and the number of foreign companies participating in it, especially as this edition comes in light of the continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which highlighted the importance of achieving self-sufficiency in basic agricultural crops and even increasing export opportunities. The Minister explained: "The agriculture sector is one of the resilient sectors, which has proven to be the most shock-resistant sector and has achieved an accelerated growth rate". He also stressed that the Egyptian state gives great attention to agriculture because it is the main source of food production and raw materials for industry, and that the sector absorbs 25% of employment and contributes more than 15% of the national income." The exhibition director, Hanaa Youssef, said: "We have a leading role in supporting the directives of the Egyptian state that are compatible with Egypt's Vision 2030, by providing many services and solutions that contribute to the implementation of that strategy. Sahara Expo will provide, for the first time, advisory services to farmers through a large number of key experts and specialists in agricultural fields. Moreover, this year's exhibition is also characterized by more comprehensive coverage of all current topics related to the agricultural sector." Hanaa added: "As part of the exhibition's growth and in line with market needs, Sahara has dedicated an entire sector for water and irrigation systems including the latest technology in the areas of: deep water well drilling pumps, modern irrigation systems, and water treatment mechanisms." Sahara Expo is the commercial heart of the Egyptian agricultural sector, and the most powerful platform for agricultural and livestock production in the Middle East and Africa, as it brings together local and regional manufacturers and traders from various sectors of the agricultural supply chain. The expo is considered a golden opportunity for networking and expanding the business especially with the participation of many international delegations including: China, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, India, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, in addition to the attendance of more than 20,000 local and international visitors.
