Egypt's Agriculture Minister and a Namibian parliamentary delegation have discussed strengthening agricultural cooperation, with both sides agreeing to form technical committees to draft a memorandum of understanding, the ministry said in a statement. The meeting between Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, and the Namibian delegation, led by Paulus Mbangu, Chairperson of the agriculture and irrigation committee in Namibia's National Council, aimed to enhance bilateral ties and exchange expertise. The head of the Egyptian Senate's agriculture committee, Abdelsalam al-Gebaly, and the deputy agriculture minister, Mostafa al-Sayyad, also attended the meeting. According to the ministry's statement, the two sides discussed cooperation in exchanging expertise, producing crop seeds, mitigating the effects of climate change, improving livestock breeds, and agro-processing. Minister Farouk stressed the Egyptian political leadership's interest in expanding cooperation with African nations, including Namibia, particularly in food security and sustainable agricultural development. He highlighted recent developments in Egypt's agricultural sector, including projects in land expansion, modern irrigation, and livestock production. Farouk added that the ministry, through its research centres, was keen to provide all forms of support and offered to train Namibian specialists at the Egyptian International Centre for Agriculture. He also pointed to Egypt's investment opportunities in the agricultural sector. The Namibian delegation expressed interest in gaining Egyptian expertise in land reclamation, producing high-quality and climate-resistant seeds, fertilizer manufacturing, and various agricultural treatments to improve soil efficiency. Mbangu, the head of the Namibian delegation, praised Egypt's progress in agriculture and said Namibia was keen to benefit from its experience. He noted that Namibia has large areas of arable land, natural resources such as river and rainwater, and a large livestock population, which could have a positive impact on cooperation in breed improvement and the export of meat products to Egypt. The head of the Egyptian Senate's agriculture committee, Abdelsalam al-Gebaly, pointed to the cooperation between the Egyptian parliament and the government in supporting farmers and achieving food security. At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to form technical committees to formulate joint cooperation proposals and prepare a memorandum of understanding with specific timetables and clear programs. The ministry's foreign agricultural relations department will serve as the point of contact for this cooperation, the statement said.
