Sisi asks PM to expand water, agricultural project in Matrouh into Western Desert

CAIRO - 16 November 2020: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi asked the prime minister and the minister of agriculture to expand the scope of a water and agricultural project well into the Western Desert in cooperation with the International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD).

 

On Sunday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Agriculture Minister al-Sayed al-Qaseer updated the president with the progress of the project, which IFAD supports with LE1.3B in Matrouh, northwestern Egypt. 

 

The project aims to enhance the locals' capabilities to bridge the water gap, provide facilities to store rainwater, improve agricultural drainage, rehabilitate valleys to support agriculture and produce crops, as well as to qualify women and youth in the area to start small businesses. 

 

Sisi said the government will offer the additional costs to expand the project in efforts to enhance the standard  of living of people in the Western Desert. The three officials decided that some of the best breeds of livestock can be part of the project, as well as training programs to improve afarming practices.