Qena Governor Moustafa El-Beblawy received Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Director AbdulHakim Elwaer and his accompanying delegation to discuss modernizing irrigation techniques, supporting agricultural development, and improving water resource efficiency under current challenges.
The FAO delegation included FAO Egypt Director Jacquelyn Pinat, Assistant Director Mohamed Yacoub, and Project Director Saad El-Howaisly, where both sides discussed joint cooperation mechanisms to implement agricultural projects in the governorate. The meeting reviewed the progress of the ongoing irrigation modernization project across 440 feddans along the Khozam and Bahig canals to improve efficiency, rationalize water consumption, and increase productivity.
Discussions also covered pesticide governance, strategic crop management, agricultural small enterprise development, expanding the tomato drying industry, and recycling agricultural waste for added economic value. Elwaer explained that the project aims to alter traditional farming mindsets regarding water management through a unified agricultural program focusing on three pillars: agricultural clusters, solar-powered irrigation networks, and establishing 53 field schools benefiting 1000 farmers.
The governor stressed the importance of irrigation modernization programs in addressing water challenges, highlighting the need to raise farmer awareness about modern agricultural economics and instructing the Agriculture Directorate to coordinate with FAO to innovatively implement joint projects.