Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad and Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem held an expanded coordination meeting to review the implementation status of the "Productive Village" initiative.
The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries Mohamed El Sewedy, representatives of the Ministries of Planning and Economic Development and Social Solidarity, as well as officials from relevant agencies and representatives of industrial chambers.
The meeting comes as part of implementing the political leadership's directives to economically empower rural Egypt and achieve sustainable development. The ministers reviewed the results of surveys and field visits carried out by inter-ministerial teams to assess the productive potential of the targeted villages and develop a roadmap for transforming them into integrated production hubs through the establishment of economic entities and small and medium-sized industrial projects tailored to each village's comparative advantages.
Technical reports on a number of villages in different governorates were also reviewed. Participants agreed to select an initial group of villages with adequate infrastructure and human and natural resources to accommodate production units integrated into local supply chains, creating sustainable job opportunities, particularly for young people and women breadwinners, within villages covered by the presidential Decent Life initiative.
The ministers stressed the importance of coordination among participating entities by upgrading infrastructure, streamlining licensing procedures, providing training and technical support, ensuring compliance with environmental standards and expanding social protection and concessional financing through economic empowerment programs.
Farouk said the initiative represents a key pillar for improving the quality of life in rural areas while promoting food security and sustainable agricultural development. He noted that the ministry is coordinating with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to benefit from its expertise in building the capacities of small-scale farmers and transferring best agricultural and environmental practices.
He added that the ministry is working with partner institutions to develop agricultural value chains and expand milk collection centers and agro-processing facilities, helping integrate villages into the formal economy and secure fair marketing opportunities for local products.
Farouk also said partnerships with national banks will provide soft loans and financial inclusion programs targeting young people and rural women to support small and micro enterprises. For her part, Awad said the initiative aims to utilize unused government-owned buildings and vacant land in Decent Life villages by converting them into industrial units, particularly in the textile and food industries, to capitalize on locally available agricultural raw materials and labor while creating more employment opportunities.
She explained that governorates will make these facilities and plots available to the private sector in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and the Federation of Egyptian Industries, in accordance with legal procedures and a defined implementation timetable.