Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation hosted a delegation from Saudi Arabia's National Center for Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases (Weqaa) on a four-day official visit aimed at strengthening cooperation in plant health and crop protection.
The visit follows coordination between Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk and Saudi Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli to expand technical cooperation, exchange expertise and support efforts to safeguard crops and enhance Arab food security, the ministry said in a statement.
The Saudi delegation included Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Khuraiji, head of the Plant Health Sector at Weqaa; Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Shuraidi, adviser to the center's chief executive for plant health affairs and Murai bin Saeed Al Nasser, general manager of Plant Health Services.
The delegation met Ahmed Rizk, head of Egypt's Agricultural Services Sector, to discuss joint strategies for addressing agricultural challenges and transboundary pests in order to protect agricultural investments and plant resources in both countries. Ahmed Abdel Meguid, head of the Central Administration for Plant Protection and Pest Control, briefed the delegation on Egypt's plant health system and measures to monitor and control both endemic and transboundary pests.
The visit also included field tours to plant protection facilities in the Canal, Sinai and North Delta regions, where the delegation met local agricultural officials and observed pest control operations. The delegation visited a locust control base in Ismailia governorate to review early warning, surveillance and control systems.
It also toured mango farms and facilities producing predatory mites used in biological pest control. In Beheira Governorate, the delegation visited greenhouses producing predatory mites and a regional rodent control center to review pest prevention strategies used in agricultural fields.
The visit concluded with a joint review of the field tours and technical meetings, during which both sides stressed the importance of continued exchanges, technical cooperation and strategic partnerships to strengthen plant health and improve environmentally sustainable management of transboundary pests, the ministry said.
The Inauguration of the State Strategic Command Headquarters “The Octagon” in the New Capital President Sisi inaugurates 'Octagon' Strategic Command headquarters in New Capital The Inauguration of the State Strategic Command Headquarters “The Octagon” in the New Capital