Ministers of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouq and Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam held talks with representatives of several Indian companies and organizations specialized in agriculture and water management to explore avenues of cooperation in sustainable agriculture and integrated water resources management.

The meeting reviewed existing and proposed areas of collaboration, including the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for research and training on millet cultivation, a drought- and climate-resilient cereal crop.

The discussions also covered a digital agriculture project and a project to produce biodegradable tableware from rice straw, alongside mechanisms to utilize available financing under a bilateral memorandum of understanding and a dedicated credit line supporting joint initiatives, with the participation of Indian companies.

The two ministers stressed the importance of accelerating the implementation of joint projects and removing any obstacles to ensure effective cooperation.

They also called for organizing a field visit to Upper Egypt to assess opportunities for expanding millet cultivation as part of efforts to enhance food security under increasingly challenging climate conditions.

The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation reviewed Egypt’s ongoing efforts in rainwater and flood harvesting projects, as well as initiatives to maximize the use of available water resources in support of agricultural development, in line with sustainable water management policies.

He stressed the importance of making use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of water and land management and advance sustainable development goals.

The meeting also discussed a proposal by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to establish a regional Center of Excellence in Egypt to serve North and West Africa, in addition to the establishment of a specialized research laboratory for water applications, artificial intelligence, and land management aimed at developing innovative solutions for food and water security.

The post Egypt, India explore cooperation in sustainable agriculture, water resources management appeared first on Egypt Independent.