Egypt’s minister vows to remove export barriers, boost sector growth

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Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk has underscored the critical role of agricultural exports in bringing in foreign currency, supporting the country’s industrial development plans, and securing production inputs.

“We are working to remove all export barriers,” Farouk said during a meeting with key divs in agricultural export and investment on Tuesday.

Farouk highlighted the state’s efforts to expand agricultural land, creating a surplus for export, and emphasised the importance of agricultural processing in adding value, creating jobs, and reducing waste.

“The success of Egypt’s processed agricultural exports complements our fresh produce exports,” Farouk said.

The meeting was attended by Hesham Al-Hosary, Chairperson of the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee in the Egyptian House of Representatives; Abdelsalam El-Gabaly, Chairperson of the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee in the Egyptian Senate; Ali Issa, Chairperson of the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association; Abdel Hamid Demerdash, Chairperson of the Agricultural Export Council; and prominent agricultural exporters and investors, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Farouk stressed the importance of collaboration with the private sector and linking scientific research with investors to achieve a unified vision for the agricultural sector. He also commended the private sector and investors for increasing Egypt’s agricultural exports, which exceeded 7.3 million tons of fresh agricultural products last year.

“I attended this meeting to listen to suggestions for advancing the agricultural sector and to work on removing any obstacles facing it,” Farouk said. “My office is open to any serious proposals or ideas for projects that could add value to the sector.”

Farouk urged exporters to work towards realising the political leadership’s vision of reaching $100bn in exports across all sectors, including agriculture.

“All researchers in the Ministry of Agriculture are experts in their fields, contributing valuable knowledge to the country,” Farouk said. “We support scientific research and our role is to create a conducive environment for both researchers and investors, as well as to support Egyptian farmers.”

He pointed out that Egypt has all the ingredients for success, especially after the construction of major projects, infrastructure, and water treatment and desalination plants. These advancements, he said, position Egypt as one of the strongest economies in the Arab world and the region, enabling significant progress in bridging the food gap, boosting agricultural exports, and generating foreign currency.

Al-Hosary affirmed Parliament’s support for all efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture to achieve food security. He noted that Egypt’s private agricultural sector possesses the tools for success and modern technology.

El-Gabaly discussed several issues facing farmers and exporters, including contract farming, land regulation, and support for desert reclamation. He emphasised the importance of agricultural processing in adding value to the national economy.

Farouk listened to the opinions and suggestions of agricultural exporters and investors, as well as the challenges they face and potential solutions. He directed the Ministry’s leadership to implement the proposals presented during the meeting and to remove obstacles facing exporters and investors. He also stressed the importance of maintaining ongoing communication with them to find immediate solutions to their challenges.