CAIRO - 18 November 2024: The Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, underscored the crucial role of agriculture in Egypt's economic growth during the Cairo ICT event. He highlighted that the sector contributes more than 15 percent of the country's GDP, employs over a quarter of the national workforce, and plays a significant role in boosting foreign currency reserves through agricultural exports.
Farouk reported that in 2023, fresh agricultural exports totaled approximately 6.9 million tons, valued at over $4.1 billion, while processed agricultural products contributed an additional $5.1 billion. The combined total of $9.2 billion reflects the growing importance of agriculture to the national economy.
The Minister also discussed the Ministry's ongoing initiatives to enhance food security, improve self-sufficiency in strategic crops, and increase agricultural exports. A key focus of his address was the Ministry's digital transformation efforts. Among the accomplishments were the digitization of 20 agricultural services, the modernization of the quarantine system, and the expansion of export farm coding to improve the global competitiveness of Egyptian agricultural products. More than 3.2 million agricultural holdings, covering 8.1 million feddans, have been registered in the Ministry's digital system.
Farouk also announced new projects aimed at further digitalizing seed and pesticide approval processes, enhancing financial services for farmers, and implementing electronic payment systems in agricultural cooperatives.
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