DESPITE an unfortunate warning from former Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mahmoud Abu Zeid, plans to expand Egypt's agricultural land in different African countries sound as if they're a brilliant solution for the country's drinking and irrigation water shortages. In a press statement, the ex-Minister warned that Egypt, which is gasping for water, should not expect its partners in the Nile Basin to increase the amount of river water it uses for large-size land reclamation projects. Abu Zeid's warning runs parallel to press and official reports, which cast doubt about Egypt being successful in persuading its Nile Basin partners to increase its quota of river water. Egypt's annual quota of 55.5 billion cubic metres of Nile water has stayed the same since 1959 and for decades it's wanted more for agricultural land reclamation. The nation's annual per capita quota of drinking water from the Nile has fallen far below the internationally recognised minimum of 1,000 cubic metres per person per annum. In the meantime, the country's diminishing agricultural land has led to an acute shortage of basic commodities, such as wheat. The annual bill for foodstuffs imported from foreign countries to narrow the gap between consumption and supply in the domestic market is hugely expensive. Just as giant European and Asian car-manufacturers have been expanding their global activities and cutting costs by opening factories in developing countries, which are rich in raw materials and cheap labour, Egypt should look beyond its southern borders to other African countries to cultivate its basic crops. These countries have a wealth of water resources, such as the Nile and perennial downpours. Talks are currently under way with Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia to launch joint agricultural projects there. Following the example of the car-makers, Egypt will use the natural resources (water and fertile agricultural land) of these countries. If this strategy is successful, Egypt's grievances over its small quota of Nile water will evaporate. Both Egypt and its agricultural partners stand to benefit. There will be plenty of jobs for Egyptian agricultural engineers and farmers in African countries, helping Egypt's strategy succeed. Egypt can also make use of cheap labour in its new African partner countries. Joint agricultural projects will enhance Egypt's ambitions to gain a stronger foothold in the African continent and revive the glorious past of Egypt's heavy presence in the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time, our agricultural partners in Africa will benefit from the expertise of Egyptian agricultural engineers and technology, while the basic infrastructure of African countries will be upgraded to facilitate the transportation of crops to Egypt. Needless to say, this joint agricultural mega-project will help save millions of starving tribal people in these African countries. Funds will not constitute a daunting problem, especially if major banks in Egypt, in collaboration with the African Development Fund, agree to help finance these projects. There is optimism that talks over the cultivation of two million acres in Sudan will soon bear fruit. Similar talks are also underway with Uganda and Ethiopia. According to Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Amin Abaza, the Egyptian-Sudanese agricultural project for the cultivation of wheat and other cereals will sprawl across the Egyptian-Sudanese borders.
