CAIRO, June 26, 2018 (MENA) - Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli held a meeting on Sunday to ensure commitment to the area allocated for rice cultivation nationwide in view of the country's measures to face water shortage challenges. The prime minister underlined the importance of adhering to the allocated area for this water-intensive crop. Agriculture Minister Ezz-Eddin Abu Steit said that the ministry and its affiliated bodies have managed to face several attempts on the part of rice growers to break the set rules especially in the central Nile Delta governorates. During the meeting, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Mohamed Abdel Ati reviewed the measures taken by the ministry to rationalise water consumption and protect water resources, the cabinet spokesman, Ashraf Sultan, said. He noted that farmers have started to use new rice irrigation methods to increase productivity and reduce water consumption. He asserted that Egypt will import needed rice amounts to cater for local market needs, noting that the imported rice will be of the same high quality of the local equivalent.
