The United Arab Emirates announced that it will appoint 500 million EGP (U.S. $84.7 million) to finance the execution of the first stage of the ‘Tushka Project.' The project aims to reclaim 100 acres of desert on the third branch of Sheikh Zayed channel in the south valley development project. Tushka was appointed by the Egyptian government for a UAE company to cultivate strategic crops especially the wheat and other different agricultural products. The Emirati government representative regarding the agricultural projects in Europe and Africa, ambassador Hamd al-Shamsy, said yesterday, "We are committed to providing all the technical and research components to support the success of the Tushka project, and this is based on straight directions from the Emirati presidential authority to activate all the cooperation and partnership fields with Egypt." Shamsy said that his government welcomes to establish a strategic partnership with the Egyptian government in the agriculture field and seeds' production that meet Egyptian and Arabian needs, through the scientific experiences. He also said that they are done with the preparation of all the design work, research and machines that will be used to cultivate the lands that were appointed for the UAE in Tushka. Shamsy added that he'll meet the Egyptian ministers of Agriculture and Irrigation, Hisham Qandil and Salah Youssif, to discuss coordination in the future to enhance the cooperation between the two countries. Twenty thousand palm shoots are prepared to be planted in Tushka to produce dates, said Shamsy.
