On the sidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation’s celebration of International Soil Day, AICS Cairo signed an official agreement today with the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), under which the Center is mandated to implement specialized training programmes for farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) across the Delta governorates of Sharqia, Gharbia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, and Beheira. This collaboration comes as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen agricultural extension services and improve wheat production efficiency.
The signing ceremony was attended by DR. Mostafa EL Sayad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Livestock, Fish, and Poultry; Ms. Alice Peslin, Team Leader Human Development and Inclusive Growth Cooperation Section of the European Union In Egypt; Dr. Tiberio Chiari, Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Office in Cairo; and Prof. Dr. Adel Abdel Azim, President of the Agricultural Research Center.
The agreement will support the national wheat campaign organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and entrusted by ARC, aiming to raise farmers’ understanding of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and promote the adoption of modern agricultural technologies that boost productivity, improve crop yields, and strengthen the wheat value chain. The Agricultural Research Center will lead the implementation of the National Wheat Campaign in partnership with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation under the framework of the EU-KAFI Programme, coordinating with relevant research institutes, the Central Administration for Agricultural Extension, and the Agricultural Directorates in the target governorates to ensure effective rollout starting from the 2025–2026 season.
Furthermore, this agreement supports small and medium-scale farmers to advance national efforts toward self-sufficiency in strategic crops, particularly wheat, by strengthening the agricultural training system and preparing approximately 400,000 farmers to adopt GAP as part of the National Wheat Campaign mandated by the Minister of Agriculture. The initiative enhances the full spectrum of GAP for wheat production by increasing the use of certified seeds, improving soil preparation and wheat agronomy, expanding the use of modern agricultural machinery throughout the production cycle, enhancing water-use efficiency, promoting balanced fertilization, improving integrated weed and pest management, reducing post-harvest losses, and producing high-quality wheat that meets international standards.
It is worth noting that these training programmes are delivered by agricultural engineers who have been prepared through Training-of-Trainer modules developed and implemented by the Italian Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics (CREA) in cooperation with the Agricultural Research Center. This agreement marks a key milestone for the EU-KAFI Programme, strengthening international partnerships and reaffirming the programme’s commitment to innovation and improved knowledge transfer to farmers’ including better livelihoods across the Delta. It also reinforces national priorities to increase the productivity of strategic crops, particularly wheat, which remains central to Egypt’s Agricultural Strategy 2030 and vital to long-term food security.
