As part of the EU-funded EU–KAFI Programme, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Cairo (AICS Cairo) has signed a grant agreement with the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos and Storage (EHCSS) to enhance wheat storage infrastructure and upgrade Egypt’s digital tracking systems for the national strategic reserve of the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade (MoSIT). The agreement, valued at nearly €12 million and fully funded by the European Union, was signed at the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.
The signing ceremony was attended by H.E. Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Iva Stamenova, Programme Manager on Agriculture and Health, Cooperation Section, EU Delegation to Egypt; Dr. Tiberio Chiari, Director of AICS Cairo; Dr. Ashraf Sadeq, Managing Director of EHCSS; and Eng. Samah Helaly, Managing Director of the Silos Sector at EHCSS, Major General Walid Abu El-Magd, Deputy Minister, Mr. Ahmed Kamal, Assistant Minister and Official Spokesperson, Dr. Doaa Nabil, Assistant Minister for International Relations and Agreements, Ms. Sarah Al-Azazi, Head of the Central Department for the Minister’s Office Affairs reflecting the strong, high-level partnership between Egypt and the European Union in advancing national food-security priorities.
Under this agreement, EU–KAFI will support the construction of five vertical farm-level silos, each with a capacity of 10,000 tons, in key wheat-producing governorates. This upgrade will significantly strengthen local and national storage capacity, improve crop management efficiency, and reduce post-harvest losses.
The agreement also includes upgrading the digital system of the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade to enable real-time tracking of the national wheat reserve. This will enhance data accuracy, improve monitoring efficiency, and strengthen the government’s capacity for strategic planning and decision-making, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and efficient national supply chain.
From his side, the Director of AICS Cairo emphasized that strengthening cooperation with the Egyptian government reflects the strong confidence in Egypt and its tangible, serious steps in achieving sustainable food security. He noted that Egypt has a clear vision for modernizing storage infrastructure and improving the efficiency of the food supply system. He added that the European Union and Italy, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation—are committed to supporting these efforts and expanding areas of partnership in the coming period to achieve genuine and sustainable development.
This new partnership reaffirms the EU’s continued commitment to supporting Egypt’s national priorities in food security, agricultural modernization, and the sustainability of storage and supply systems. It marks a key step toward building a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable wheat supply chain in Egypt.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Minister Sherif Farouk reaffirmed that this cooperation reflects the strength of the Egypt–EU and Egypt–Italy partnerships and supports national efforts to modernize the supply chain and improve the efficiency of grain storage systems, contributing to enhanced food security and better services for citizens.
