ISLAMABAD: JULY 10 (DNA):Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, held an important meeting today with the Ambassador of Egypt to Pakistan, Dr. Ihab Mohamed Abdelhamid Hassan, at the Ministry in Islamabad. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security, and climate-resilient farming systems.
The Federal Minister praised Egypt’s remarkable progress in the agricultural sector, especially in water resource management, arid-zone farming, and the adoption of modern technologies. He emphasized Pakistan’s keen interest in learning from Egypt’s successful experiences and called for enhanced collaboration in the areas of seed development, agricultural science, drip irrigation, capacity building, and climate-smart technologies.
During the meeting, both sides discussed Egypt’s effective strategies in dealing with water scarcity and acknowledged the country’s notable advancements in drip and high-efficiency irrigation. The two countries agreed to collaborate on transferring knowledge and best practices in this domain to support Pakistan’s water-stressed regions.
One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the mutual agreement to formalize cooperation between Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Egypt’s Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), as well as the Egyptian International Centre for Agriculture (EICA). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the respective research institutions is expected to be signed soon to strengthen research exchange, training, and innovation in agriculture.
In addition, the two sides reviewed the progress of an MoU in the livestock sector, which is in the final stages of approval. The agreement will focus on key areas such as animal health, dairy development, halal meat production, and livestock genetics.
Rana Tanveer Hussain also highlighted the challenges Pakistan faces in post-harvest losses, especially in wheat storage. He appreciated Egypt’s successful efforts in improving wheat storage through better silo systems and logistics, and both countries agreed to share experiences and technical solutions to reduce such losses in Pakistan, which currently range between 20–30 percent.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to deepening the historical and brotherly ties with Egypt, Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain expressed hope that enhanced cooperation in agriculture and food security would yield tangible benefits for both nations.
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