The Egyptian parliamentary committee on agriculture, water resources, food security, and livestock, chaired by MP Sami Shahin, has approved its work plan for the second ordinary session of the third legislative term. The plan includes a range of strategic files in the agriculture and water resources sectors. These files will be addressed through both legislative and oversight activities.
A key focus area of the committee's work plan is to monitor the state's efforts to expand wheat cultivation. This expansion aims to increase self-sufficiency and reduce imports. The committee will also study the development of an integrated system for cotton cultivation and marketing. This system is intended to help restore cotton's position both locally and globally.
The committee's work plan also involves studying the preparation of an agricultural map for rice cultivation in northern governorates. This map will take into account soil conditions, groundwater levels, and salinity rates. Additionally, the committee will follow up on the national project to produce potato seeds locally. This project aims to reduce imports and lower production costs.
The committee will also examine the Egyptian Agricultural Bank's credit policy. This policy is designed to support small-scale farmers by providing necessary financing. Furthermore, the committee will look into major national projects by the Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development in areas such as agricultural production, animal production, and agricultural processing.
Another aspect of the committee's work plan is to explore ways to enhance agricultural advisory services. The committee also plans to form a joint committee between the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry. This joint committee will develop an industrial-agricultural map that considers the competitive advantages of each governorate.
The committee's plan includes studying the reasons behind high prices for land reclamation and rental values. It will also investigate efforts by research centers to shift towards the use of biological pesticides. Moreover, the committee will follow up on the national project for lake development and consider amendments to Law No. 122 of 1980 on agricultural cooperation.
The law aims to revitalize the role of agricultural cooperatives in marketing products and providing production requirements. After discussing these issues, the committee officially adopted its work plan for the second ordinary session. The plan's implementation will begin shortly, focusing on its legislative and oversight aspects.
Key points
- The committee's work plan focuses on enhancing agricultural production and food security in Egypt.
- The plan includes studying and implementing policies to support farmers and agricultural development.
- The committee aims to reduce Egypt's reliance on imports by increasing local production of strategic crops.
