The Foreign Agriculture Relations

About the project
Activities
Partners

Project Background

All indications ensure that historical, political and religious relations between Egypt and African countries may have a great economic effect if properly used. Egypt enjoys a distinguished position on the African level concerning the economic value, scientific and technological progress appropriate for African countries in addition to the competitive advantage of the national Egyptian product exported to the African extensive markets, as exportation is considered the leader for economic development.

During the recent few years a conscious attention was observed towards African Continent in various fields. The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has the precedence in this respect. The idea of establishing joint model farms emerged from several African countries, while the (MOA) undertakes providing African countries in general and COMESA countries in particular with Egyptian agricultural expertise necessary for adequate benefit from agricultural wealth to realize enjoying production savings and agricultural productive specialization with the presence of comparative advantages of African countries. This will enhance competitive ability of the African countries’ products and participate in increasing economic development rates.

The Main Objectives of the Project:

1- Realization of Egyptian presence in the African countries,

which results in enhancing political, economic and inter-trade

between Egypt and African Countries within the frame of

African Union Organization & COMESA membership.

2- Marketing Egyptian products having competitive advantage

in the African markets

3- Advertisement for agricultural production requirements

(agricultural machineries, seeds, fertilizers…) produced in

Egypt and used in joint farms to promote exportation to

African countries, as the farms are considered permanent

Exhibitions displaying Egyptian scientific and technological

progress in the field of agriculture

4- Exportation of Egyptian food industries to African countries so that Egypt becomes a regional center for food industries

during the coming period in order to meet the needs of

African countries’ wide market, together with the increase of

competitive ability concerning the quality and price.

5- Egypt obtains raw materials necessary for Egyptian industry

and agriculture from African countries

6- Provide working opportunities for Egyptian graduates in

Africa

In order to achieve the Project’s objectives on the political, economical and commercial level, there is a complete cooperation and coordination between state organs concerned (Ministry of Agriculture & Land Reclamation – Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Ministry of International Cooperation – Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa)

The project of Establishment an Egyptian Joint farms in African countries is specialized in the following items to attain its objectives:

· Carrying out the joint agricultural researches to increase the various agricultural productions in African countries for the benefit of all parties.

· Transferring the appropriate technologies and disseminating it on a wide scale through offering training programs, extension seminars for staff and farmers.

· Developing human resource in rural areas in African countries while working to educate rural women

· Encouraging Egyptian businessmen to exploit the available opportunities for investment in African continent.

The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture endeavors towards fulfilling the economical goal to provide the resources necessary for self operation and management of the farm, without bearing permanently the state budget the burden of operation.

The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture have already established a joint model farm in Niger in 1997 and continued for a period of ten years. The Ministry is currently implementing a project to establish two joint model farms one of them in Zambia and the other in Zanzibar.

One of the good results achieved by those farms that seventeen African countries, applied to the Arab Republic of Egypt for the establishment of similar model farms, where they are setting the priorities of African countries in establishing of farms in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs giving special care to the Nile Basin countries.

Parties Obligations:

· Egyptian Party Obligations:

1. Provide technical and administrative management

of the farm (Egyptian Director for the farm and

Director Assistant for agricultural mechanization)

2. Provide machinery and mechanical equipment as well as,

Egyptian Agricultural Technology.

3. Provision of agricultural production utensils such as

seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and operating expenses.

4. Providing the Egyptian experts in all agricultural fields

either for long periods such as farm director ,

agricultural mechanization expert and another one in any

other specialty according to the nature of the farm

work , or short period experts according to the work

need while working on the training of cadres of the

African agricultural engineers and farmers.

· African Party Obligations:

1. Offering the identified land to establish the joint farm

according to the technical feasibility criteria which was

determined by the specific Egyptian mission, and an rea

that could be expanded in future based on what is agreed

upon.

2. Providing the infrastructure of the farm roads and evacuating farm land, electricity, irrigation and drainage, appropriate expert Egyptians accommodation, stores for production requirements and mechanical equipment and maintenance workshops, as well as the appropriate training hall.

3. Customs clearance and inland transport for the needs of the project, with possible exemptions from customs duties and charges imposed upon the African country.

4. Providing security measures necessary to ensure work completion safety and farm conservation (preservation)

And with the consent of all parties, a committee of technical and economic evaluation of a number of experts has been formulated. In fact, an annual evaluation is done to determine the financial, commercial, economical feasibility of the project, with a focus on achieving the main objective of the establishment of these farms, which is deepening political and economic relations between Egypt and African countries.

It was also set up a Higher Committee for the management of the project, include representatives of relevant ministries (Agriculture - International Cooperation - Foreign Affairs - Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa).

Authorities participating in the project of establishing joint farms in Africa:

- On identifying the implementation mechanisms of the project, a

general budget was approved for investment to establish joint farms

within the appropriations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Egyptian

Fund for Technical Assistance with Africa). As the Ministry of

Agriculture and Land Reclamation started in coordination with

(MFA) to identify countries' priorities and takes the executive

measures of the project giving special care for Nile Basin Countries.

- By the second millennium, the financial allocations for investment in Africa were transferred from MFA to General Cabinet of MALR within a five-year investment plan starting from 2003 – 2007. The priorities of African countries in establishing farms were identified in full coordination with MFA.

- Seventeen African countries expressed their desire to set up joint Egyptian farm on their lands, MFA has identified states priorities as follows:

First: Uganda - Tanzania – Zanzibar

Second: Ethiopia - Kenya - Zambia

Third: Senegal- Cameron - Comoro Islands

As for the rest of desired countries include: Mali – Gabon – Middle Africa – Congo Brazzaville – Burundi - Swaziland – Namibia – Mauritania.

A high committee was formulated to follow up farms' implementation according to the priorities and commitments of both sides. This committee includes representatives of Ministries concerned such as:

- Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation

- Ministry of International Cooperation

- Ministry of Foreign Affairs

- Egyptian Fund for Technical Assistance with Africa

Ended Projects:

* Establishing a model Egyptian joint farmin Niger:

An agreement on establishing the farm was signed in 1997 and valid for ten years. The said farm was established on a surface of 200 hectares lying on Niger's river. Establishment procedures began with finance from maize unit, Field Crops Research Institute, (ARC). Then, its

subordination was transferred to African Joint Farms establishing committee in MOA.

This farm has achieved good results in the fields of agricultural production (field crops & animal production), pasture cultivation (cultivation of grazing lands), in addition to research and extension fields.

Current Projects:

· Establishment of an Egyptian joint model farm in Zambia.

According to the meeting minutes signed by Egypt and Zambia in 1998, it was agreed upon establishing the farm with National Service Organization in "Chansania". The director of the farm and the assistant director for agricultural mechanization traveled to Zambia, the required machineries and tools were also delivered in 2004.

Zambian side has requested to transfer the project’s subordination to the Ministry of Interior in Zambia (Prison department) , and to identify a new site for the project. The Zambian request was accepted, and an Egyptian-Zambian agreement was signed during high committee meeting headed by Foreign Ministers of both countries in May 2006. This agreement is valid only for five years.

The said farm is basically concerned with strategic crops cultivation especially fodder maize besides animal breeding.

· Establishment of Egyptian joint model farm in Zanzibar

The relevant agreement of establishing vegetables farm in December, 2003 was set up on 70 hectares in Bamby city.

In May, 2005 a specialized Egyptian delegation traveled to Zanzibar in order to inspect and sign the minutes of the farm location receipt. Therefore, the farm director and the assistant director for agricultural mechanization have traveled as well as the shipment of machinery and equipment required for operation

The farm is currently achieved significant success and an echo to officials in Zanzibar.

Cooperation with the River Nile Basin Countries:

Is still considered the Egyptian side is still considering the application presented from the River Nile Basin countries in which they express their desire to establish pilot joint farms of a huge investment finance,

by the Egyptian private sector either through investment companies or Egyptian investors interested in this respect and in accordance with the regulations, investment and economic laws of those States.

According to the Egyptian side point of view, that Egypt can realize presence in the River Nile Basin countries for the time being by strengthening and intensifying bilateral cooperation by offering technical, technological, training and guidance assistance, for the african brothers in the River Nile Basin countries.

Yumbe in Uganda has already been gifted some machinery , equipment and mechanical spare parts to assist the state farmers to increase their agricultural production, it was also delegated an Egyptian expert in the field of agricultural mechanization for training the cadres in Yumbe on operation (monitoring)and maintenance.