Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has met with ministers to review the development of irrigation systems for sugarcane, aiming to increase the strategic crop's yield while reducing water consumption. In a meeting with the relevant ministries and government agencies, Madbouly emphasised the government's focus on monitoring agriculture and irrigation projects. He said irrigation plays a pivotal role in managing water resources and adapting to environmental changes, which in turn ensures the availability of agricultural products and contributes to food security. "Sugarcane is a strategic crop that must be cultivated using modern methods that increase its production, thereby helping to meet the needs of the local market," Madbouly stated. Alaa El-Din Farouk, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, outlined the benefits of shifting to modern irrigation techniques for sugarcane. He said these methods could reduce water consumption by up to 30%, lower the use of agricultural inputs like fertilisers, decrease the spread of weeds and control costs, and ultimately enhance productivity. Farouk detailed specific modern irrigation techniques, including drip irrigation and developed field irrigation combined with water-saving agricultural practices such as laser levelling and planting on raised beds. He presented the requirements, costs, benefits, and implementation challenges associated with each method, along with potential solutions. The agriculture minister noted that there is significant potential for expanding the use of water-saving agricultural practices. He added that several of these methods are already popular among farmers and are characterised by their low cost and speed of implementation. The meeting was attended by Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation; Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Alaa El-Din Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture; Colonel Bahaa El-Ghannam, Executive Director of the Egypt's Future for Sustainable Development Authority; and other officials from the relevant ministries and agencies.
