Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, held a high-level meeting on Tuesday with Syed Mohammad Ashiq Hussain Shah, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources from Pakistan’s Punjab province, to explore deeper bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector.
The discussions, which took place at the Ministry’s headquarters in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, were attended by Deputy Minister Eng. Mustafa Al-Sayyad, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Cairo Amir Shaukat, senior officials from both countries, and the commercial attaché of the Pakistani Embassy.
At the heart of the talks was the shared ambition to boost collaboration across a range of agricultural fields including desert land reclamation, the implementation of modern irrigation systems, and applied agricultural research. Expanding the cultivation of high-yield and high-quality strategic crops was also identified as a priority for both nations.
Minister Farouk expressed Egypt’s readiness to share its “pioneering expertise” in land reclamation and irrigation technologies with Pakistan, adding that such collaboration could play a key role in bolstering regional food security.
He cited potential joint initiatives focused on improving yields of staple crops like rice, wheat, and sugarcane, and highlighted Pakistan’s depth of experience in these areas.
In livestock development, Farouk proposed avenues for technical collaboration, such as artificial insemination and crossbreeding of Egyptian and Pakistani buffalo.
He emphasized that a mutual exchange of knowledge could create added value across both countries’ agricultural sectors, while paving the way for innovative joint research programmes.
The Pakistani minister, in turn, praised Egypt’s accomplishments in transforming desert landscapes into arable farmland, noting his keen interest in replicating this success back home.
With both countries facing similar water scarcity challenges, he proposed that Egypt’s techniques could provide crucial insights.
He also proposed a public-private partnership to establish a model farm in Pakistan, incorporating Egypt’s advanced agricultural technologies and irrigation methods.
Further, the Pakistani delegation expressed strong interest in collaborating on applied research, particularly in cotton cultivation and processing.
They also pointed to Pakistan’s recent gains in basmati rice and wheat productivity and shared updates on a forthcoming national programme aimed at eradicating livestock diseases and creating certified disease-free zones—an initiative that could significantly boost Pakistan’s meat exports on the international market.
As part of the visit, Minister Farouk extended an invitation to his Pakistani counterpart to tour Egypt’s Cotton Research Institute, which operates under the Agricultural Research Center.
He also called for swift coordination to draft a formal memorandum of understanding, laying the foundation for structured cooperation on all areas of shared interest.
Both sides underscored the strategic importance of building agricultural ties not only for economic gain but for regional sustainability and food resilience.
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