6 days ago
Egypt achieves first-ever cotton cultivation in Sinai desert - Society
Egypt has successfully cultivated cotton in the desert of South Sinai for the first time, marking a breakthrough in the country's agricultural development.
In a statement, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk praised the efforts of researchers, scientists, and experts at the Agriculture Research Centre, notably the Cotton Research Institute, for their successful field trials of cultivating cotton in desert environments for the first time in El Tor city in South Sinai.
Farouk noted that this achievement comes as a result of utilising research, studies, and applied scientific experiments, and putting them into practice on the ground.
He highlighted that intensive efforts and field trials have proven the feasibility of cultivating and producing high-quality cotton for the first time in a desert environment, benefiting from modern irrigation techniques and appropriate fertilisation.
Farouk further affirmed that scientific research is the driving force of agricultural development, stressing the ministry's commitment to providing full support to scientists, experts, and researchers from the agricultural and desert research centres, as well as various institutes and laboratories.
This includes supporting applied research projects and offering all necessary facilities to researchers to turn laboratory results into tangible realities that benefit farmers and the national economy, the minister emphasised.
For his part, Head of the Agriculture Research Centre Adel Abdel Azim stated that the first harvest cycle of cotton cultivation was completed 127 days after planting due to the high temperatures in South Sinai.
He pointed out that this achievement demonstrates the ability of Egyptian research cadres to innovate solutions suited to the environmental and climatic challenges they face.
Abdel Azim noted that scientists and experts at the centre are always focused on developing new crop varieties that can withstand drought, salinity, and high temperatures.
He concluded that the successful field trials in El Tor city serve as a model for fruitful cooperation, announcing upcoming plans to replicate this model in other governorates.
Additionally, Abdel Azim pointed to plans to train farmers to use the latest irrigation and cultivation techniques to ensure the highest productivity and best quality.
This achievement aligns with Egypt's broader national strategies to combat desertification, expand agricultural land, and reclaim unused areas for productive farming.
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