Cairo: Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk engaged in discussions with Madagascar’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock François Gervais in Cairo to explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various agricultural sectors.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Farouk highlighted Egypt’s agricultural progress over the past decade aimed at achieving food security. He emphasized that Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture is prepared to share its expertise and resources with Madagascar to achieve sustainable agricultural development.

Farouk identified potential areas of cooperation, such as seed production for strategic crops and vegetables, date palm cultivation in southern regions, and rice farming under South-South cooperation frameworks. He also outlined Egypt’s advancements in agricultural and irrigation techniques in desert areas, emphasizing the development of infrastructure that supports the sector. This infrastructure has encouraged investment and enabled the reclamation of 4 million acres
of new desert land, with further expansion underway.

Farouk stressed the importance of collaboration in applied research, agricultural exports, training, and capacity building. He offered training opportunities for Malagasy professionals at the Egyptian International Centre for Agriculture, alongside cooperation in agricultural education.

Gervais expressed his appreciation for the meeting and conveyed his aspiration for greater cooperation with Egypt, particularly in the areas proposed by Farouk. He noted that Madagascar faces severe droughts, especially in southern rice-growing regions, and struggles with low agricultural productivity, making Egyptian expertise highly valuable.

The two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize cooperation in the discussed areas and accelerate the implementation of joint initiatives to promote sustainable agricultural development.