Agriculture Minister Prioritizes ‘Decent Life’ Villages in Economic Empowerment Projects

Minister of Agriculture during the meeting.

Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, met with Mohamed Zaki El-Suwaidi, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and his accompanying delegation at the Ministry’s headquarters. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation to support rural development and increasing the added value of agricultural products while optimizing state assets through the “productive village” initiative.

The meeting, attended by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mostafa El-Sayyad, explored methods to expand the implementation of the “Reviving the Productive Village” initiative. This initiative aims to leverage the unique advantages and natural, human, and production resources available in each village across Egypt’s governorates. The two parties also discussed launching and developing specialized projects with quick economic returns that are easy to replicate, including beekeeping projects and silk worm farming for natural silk production. These initiatives are expected to directly empower rural families, youth, and women economically.

During the meeting, Farouk emphasized the necessity of establishing a practical framework for coordinated efforts to utilize underutilized assets owned by the ministry across various governorates. This includes creating integrated production and manufacturing units in collaboration with the Federation of Egyptian Industries.

The minister outlined that this cooperation aims to achieve several strategic objectives, primarily creating real and sustainable job opportunities for rural residents to reduce unemployment. Additionally, it seeks to enhance the added value of agricultural products rather than selling them as raw materials, develop value chains, raise living standards, and ensure tangible growth in daily and monthly incomes for farmers and their families.

Farouk stressed that villages included in the presidential “Decent Life” initiative will receive top priority in implementing these projects and production units. This aligns with political directives aimed at developing rural Egypt and providing a decent and sustainable life for citizens in the most needy areas while transforming villages from consumers into productive exporters.

For his part, Mohamed Zaki El-Suwaidi expressed the Federation’s readiness for a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture. He affirmed that providing technical support, industrial expertise, and market linkage for these projects will contribute to transforming Egyptian villages into productive hubs capable of meeting local market needs while opening promising export opportunities.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Saad Moussa, Deputy Head of Agricultural Research Center and Supervisor of External Agricultural Relations, along with members of the Federation’s board and representatives from relevant industrial chambers.