Know more about 1st sugar cane field to use modern irrigation methods in Qena

CAIRO - 21 January 2023: Sugar cane cultivation is one of the important crops in Qena Governorate, on which a large number of farmers rely.

 

With the announcement of the launch of the national project for cultivation with seedlings and modern irrigation, a senior farmer in the village of Al-Makhdama in Qena Governorate initiated the cultivation of sugar cane crops on his land using the method of seedling and drip irrigation to increase the productivity of an acre of cane, and rationalize irrigation water.

 

The experiment succeeded, under the supervision of the Directorate of Agriculture in Qena and the competent authorities, and proved its effectiveness compared to submersion cultivation in other crops.

 

This field is the first pilot field in Qena Governorate, as a prelude to start expanding its cultivation, in line with the state's interest in modern methods of agriculture, especially the cultivation of sugar cane, since Qena Governorate is the first in the cultivation of sugar cane at the level of the Republic. 

 

The area cultivated in sugar cane crop in the governorate is about 120 thousand and 360 acres, representing about 37% of the total cultivated area at the level of the Republic. It produces about 3 million tons of raw cane, which in turn produces about 300 thousand tons of sugar annually.

 

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, directed the advancement of the sugar cane crop, the expansion of its cultivation with the seedling system, and the use of modern irrigation methods in order to increase productivity and reduce production costs, which achieves a positive economic return for farmers, in addition to overcoming the problems of traditional agriculture and increasing the productivity of an acre to 60 tons per acre.

 

This method saves weed control expenses, raises the efficiency of fertilizer use and instead of wasting it, as well as rationalizes water use by no less than 40% compared to traditional agriculture, in addition to facilitating the use of agricultural mechanization.

 

 

Pilot field project

 

Abdul Aziz Hashem Mahdi, the owner of the field, said that the beginning of the cultivation of the pilot field was in the past 6 months, at intervals, as it began with surface plowing, then plowing the bottom of the soil, then turning the soil and leveling the land through the land improvement device, and opening the lines between one line and the other, with140 centimeters according to the recommendations.

 

Then he put fertilizers and lines, pointing out that this experiment is the first experience of growing seedlings with tissues at the level of the Republic.

 

Abdul Aziz Hashem explained that this experience in cultivating sugar cane with seedlings is his first experience, and he had not done that cultivation before, so the field is located on the main road at the entrance to the village of Al-Makhdama.