The Ministries of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Local Development and Environment, Social Solidarity, Industry, and Planning and Economic Development reviewed implementation plans and interim targets for the "Productive Village" initiative, which aims to transform Egyptian villages into sustainable production units that support the national economy and create job opportunities for youth and rural women.
The expanded coordination meeting, held at the Ministry of Agriculture, was attended by Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad, Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy, Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mostafa El Sayad, and officials responsible for the initiative's relevant files within the five ministries.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the initiative's integrated framework, which combines strategic planning, agricultural development, social empowerment and industrial advancement at the village and local-unit levels. Discussions focused on coordinating roles among ministries, defining responsibilities to avoid overlap, leveraging the private sector's expertise and capabilities as a key development partner, encouraging investment in rural areas through incentives, and providing technical and logistical support for micro and small enterprises.
The Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation said the initiative reflects the state's vision for achieving comprehensive and sustainable development by shifting rural Egypt from consumption to production and export. Farouk stressed that cooperation among the five ministries would maximize the use of available resources and generate the greatest developmental returns for citizens.
He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture has already completed a comprehensive inventory of underutilized assets and entities affiliated with the ministry across governorates and villages that could be rehabilitated and transformed into productive entities, processing facilities, and collection centers to serve the initiative's objectives and create direct employment opportunities.
The Minister added that the initiative focuses on leveraging the productive and competitive advantages of each village based on its agricultural output and geographical characteristics, while simultaneously developing the technical and vocational skills of residents to increase productivity and create added value for agricultural and livestock products.
Farouk said the ministry would mobilize its research and extension centers to provide technical support to farmers in targeted villages through high-yield seeds, modern irrigation techniques, and improved livestock breeds, contributing to higher productivity, increased rural incomes, and expanded agro-industrial activities.
For her part, the Minister of Local Development and Environment reviewed measures undertaken by her ministry in coordination with governorates, technical committees and village-level local units. These include conducting preliminary studies, analyzing the comparative advantages of each village and identifying existing projects and public- and private-sector productive interventions.
Awad added that unused buildings and facilities, including those established under the presidential "Decent Life" initiative and later replaced, are being identified for potential reuse under the Productive Village initiative. The Minister also reviewed the initiative's implementation plan, which includes establishing executive and community support mechanisms and providing funding through the local economic development program to build industrial units and supporting infrastructure that will later be operated in partnership with the private sector.