“Agriculture” Efforts in Community Protection of Small Farmers

Mr. Al-Qaseer, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, received a report from Dr. Ali Hazeen, Head of the Executive Agency for Comprehensive Development Projects, on the agency’s efforts, as it provides a range of agricultural, health and veterinary services and small projects through these projects.

The report states that the Integrated Development Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, distributed 1,800 small sheep farming projects to beneficiaries of the Takaful and Karama social welfare program in the Red Sea border governorates. , South and North Sinai, and Matrouh, in addition to 403 laying hen projects in the villages of the centers of Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, at a cost of 15 thousand pounds for each project and 220 breeding projects of sheep in Hayat Karima villages in Qena Governorate.

The project aims to include those who are able to work and the beneficiaries of the Takaful and Karama cash support program in the labor market through their ownership of small and micro projects after building their capacities through training and qualification.

The agency trained the beneficiary families before receiving the projects, as well as that the breeds that were distributed were adapted and compatible with the areas of their distribution, and that the heads of animals obtained all the necessary vaccinations and were insured with all-risk insurance for the benefit of the beneficiary families, as well as quantities of fodder or hay sufficient for at least three months are distributed.

Ali Hazeen added that the Executive Agency for Integrated Development Projects, in cooperation with the World Food Programme, through the project to enable the Bedouin communities of Matrouh to earn a living, provided a large number of different services in the agency’s areas of intervention in Bedouin communities. (Abu Zariba – Baqbak – Abu Safafi – Ujarin – Al-Rabiya Al-Sharqiya – Al-Rabiya Al-Wusta – Fuqa – Al-Qasaba – Al-Hawala), where the project aims to increase incomes and improve the situation of the food security of Bedouin communities through the implementation of comprehensive development activities in the areas (health services – educational services – training and skills development – agricultural and environmental services – livestock services) in partnership with partners to the development of the province.

Hazeen added, “The project has established (6) community classrooms, (2) development and vocational training centers for women, (2) health units and a veterinary unit, as well as the development of a distance of 9.7 km in the valleys of Hamad and its branches. and Wadi Abu Safafi by establishing stone, cement and earth dams, resulting in the reclamation of over 500 acres planted with barley, olive and fig trees, and benefiting 200 families. The project also set up (88) Nashu wells to collect water (capacity of 150 m3) with a total of (13200 m3). And disinfection of (77) Romanian wells in all work areas, with a total of approximately (60,000 m3), depending on the average storage capacity of each well.

He said 236 tons and 50 kilos of barley seeds were distributed to support 8,322 farmers, enough to cultivate 8,322 acres. In addition, 332,500 olive seedlings were distributed to 8,117 farmers, with an area of 7,388 acres, bringing the total of what was distributed to more than 433,000 olive tree seedlings for the cultivation of 11,000 acres of rainfed crops, and the establishment of (53) veterinary convoys with vaccinations whose number has reached 334,624 heads, with the provision of various veterinary treatment and care services. education, as well as the establishment of (30) health convoys, and medicines were distributed free of charge for cases of illness, with a total of 13,183 cases in different specialties. Also, 44 ​​training courses have been implemented in the following areas (crafts and knitting – health education – awareness raising with the National Women’s Council) from 2014 to 2020 through the project, with a total number of girls exceeding 1365.

The project has established (333) dovecotes in the two regions (West Matrouh – Ras Al-Hikma) as small income-generating projects for the most needy women and families.
The Executive Authority for Integrated Development Projects, through the Integrated Development Project of Halayeb and Shalateen Regions, funded by the public treasury, has carried out a number of activities aimed at supporting small-scale fishers and herders, as well as to support the inhabitants of the cities of Shalateen, Halayeb and Abu Ramad through: The distribution of 30 wooden fishing boats covered with fiberglass, with a 40 horsepower Yamaha engine, 30 refrigerators, 30 fishing licenses for small fishermen, the distribution of 2,000 sheep and goats to the poorest families, the distribution of dry fodder to feed the sheep and goats, and (3) barley growing rooms for the production of green fodder were carried out at the Desert Research Station in Shalatin.

The rig mechanically drilled (7) wells in Shalatin, Abu Safah and Al-Dif, supplied, installed and operated 6 solar powered irrigation system stations, installed and operated 100 agricultural greenhouses, including fifty in Wadi Hawdin at Al-Shalatein, fifteen at Wadi Al-Dif and ten at Wadi Embark in Marsa Alam, fifteen greenhouses at the Desert Research Center station in Shalateen, and the installation of 15 road parking umbrellas in Shalateen town, and the setting establishment of an integrated and sustainable development model in Hawdain Valley in Shalatin, where the main idea of ​​the works taking place in Hawdain Valley (one of the desert valleys and about 32 km from the city of Shalatin) is based on the work of an integrated model for sustainable development using all available natural resources such as salt water and desert lands in establishing communities that enjoy all means of life, including housing , opportunities employment, agricultural, animal, fish and poultry production, and industries based on the medicinal and aromatic drying of plants, dairy products and camel meat, as well as pastures for camels and goats throughout year round using salt water.