Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, inaugurated the first technical committee meeting of the Integrated Rural Development Project, joined by European Union Ambassador to Cairo Angelina Eichhorst, Italian Ambassador Michele Quaroni, and Head of Italian Development Cooperation Tibario Chiari. Funded through a €24m grant from the European Union, the project is implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and focuses on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the governorates of Sohag, Assiut, and Beni Suef. Its scope includes strengthening agricultural extension services, livestock production, plant health, and field irrigation systems. Minister Farouk highlighted the project as a significant step towards sustainable development in Upper Egypt, reflecting the government's commitment to social justice and better living standards in rural areas. He noted that by widening access to economic opportunities and essential services, the project aims to empower local communities and enhance resilience. Farouk described the initiative as a comprehensive development model that combines targeted interventions to bolster agricultural cooperatives and improve the efficiency of agricultural value chains. These measures, he explained, will help increase productivity and incomes, reduce losses, and raise the competitiveness of Egyptian agricultural products both locally and internationally. The minister also emphasised the project's role in creating new opportunities for rural women and youth through dedicated programmes that provide training, technical support, and access to finance—enabling them to become active contributors to economic and social development within their communities. Farouk further praised the initiative as an example of strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union, aligning with Egypt's Vision 2030, which calls for integrated rural development balancing economic, social, and environmental priorities. He affirmed Egypt's openness to expanding cooperation with the EU in areas such as plant and livestock production, export market access, and attracting European investment to the agricultural sector. EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst welcomed the collaboration, describing Egypt as a "key strategic partner for the EU." She affirmed the EU's readiness to work with Egypt in rural development, agriculture, and technology transfer, while stressing the importance of maximising the impact of the grant through effective implementation. Italian Ambassador Michele Quaroni commended the partnership and the joint efforts to support agricultural development in the project's target governorates. He also invited Minister Farouk and a technical delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture to visit Italy to explore cooperative models as part of Egypt's broader strategy to modernise its agricultural cooperative system.
