Cairo, Egypt - His Excellency Mr. Elsayed Elkosayar - Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR) stressed the importance of sustainable water management and nutrition-sensitive agricultural production. He also assured the efficient and controlled use of water and other inputs, as well as seeking to implement strategies and plans to increase the productivity of small dairy farms by promoting education and nutrition and developing Biosecurity.

This came during his presence at the signing of the two new projects of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to be implemented in cooperation with the MALR in Egypt. The first project entitled “Increasing water productivity for sustainable ‘nutrition-sensitive’ agriculture production and improved food security”, while the second project is entitled "Improving Productivity and Reducing Poverty of Small Scale Milk and Dairy Producers in Rural Villages in Beheira and Minya”.

The projects were signed by Dr. Nasredin Hag Elamin - FAO Representative in Egypt, Eng. Mostafa El-Sayad - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation for Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries and Dr. Mohamed Soliman, President of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), in presence of Dr. Mohamed Yacoub, Assistant FAO Representative in Egypt, in addition to senior members from MALR.

“The first project , funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), intends to expand the concept of productivity of nutritious water to include the overall objective of improving water productivity in terms of crop nutrient content and economic returns for smallholder farmers, i.e. moving beyond the traditional concept of eutrophication water productivity of “maximizing the yield of nutrition from every drop” to a more integrated approach and “Achieving greater nutrients and better economic prospects from every drop”. Nasredin Hag Elamin stated.

“The project, which will be implemented in Jordan, Benin, Rwanda, Mozambique and Niger as well, will be developing a tool that shows methods to modify crop selection, water management and best agricultural practices to ensure the production of high nutrient-density crops and crop diversification, which in turn contributes to achieving the “Zero Hunger” goal of the SDGs which is”. He added.

“Improving Productivity and Reducing Poverty of Small Scale Milk and Dairy Producers in Rural Villages in Beheira and Minya” project aims to strengthen the dairy production chain to support small farmers through the collaborative efforts of the actors in the dairy value chain, such as non-governmental organizations, directorates of MALR, universities, institutions of the General Authority for Veterinary Services and the (ARC)”. Eng. Mostafa El-Sayad - Deputy Minister of MALR for Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries, stated.

“The overall objective of the newly signed project entitled “Increasing water productivity for sustainable ‘nutrition-sensitive’ agriculture production and improved food security” “ is to strengthen the capacities of smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable water management and nutrition-sensitive farming practices, which in turn will increase their productivity, income and nutritional outcomes”. Mohamed Soliman, ARC chairman emphasized.