Farmers adopt micro-irrigation system on 800K-acre arable land: Egypt’s Water Minister

CAIRO-  31 December 2021: Farmers replaced the old irrigation system with a micro-irrigation system (trickle irrigation) to maximize the benefits of water rationalizing and the high-value crops, said Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Atti in a meeting on Friday.

 

The total area where farmers adopted the micro—irrigation system reached 800,000 acres of arable land, he added.

 

He said that shifting surface irrigation to micro-irrigation increases crop productivity by 30-40%, reduces fertilizers, energy and labor costs, and improves the quality of the crops. The Minister noted that the farmers adopted this new system after they became aware of this mechanism's importance in terms of agriculture and water benefits.

 

Abdel Atti said that the ministry held a series of meetings, a number of conferences and symposia to disseminate public awareness of the importance of using the new irrigation systems.

 

During the inauguration of the new Aswan’s Urea and Ammonia Plant, which is part of KIMA petrochemicals company, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi talked about the importance of adopting modern irrigation systems when it comes to rationalizing water and reducing fertilizers.