Japan and the World Bank are joining forces with the Government of Egypt (GoE) to address priorities for the country’s agricultural sector which employs 30% of the country’s workforce and supports 55% of the population.

The Japanese Government under the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) is providing a $3.0 million grant to pilot participatory approaches in farm-level irrigation modernization.

The grant includes a new approach to the delivery of services by the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation that is based on working with farmer's groups on participatory planning and project implementation. 

 “The Government of Japan is keen to help Egypt in its transition to democracy and attaches a particular emphasis on private sector job creation."Japan's Ambassador to Egypt Norihiro Okuda said At the event to mark the launch of the grant,

 “Japan will continue to be active in the area of water and agriculture because the importance of these sectors remains unchanged even after the revolution. Agriculture remains the largest industry in Egypt and therefore the largest employer,” he added.

The grant underpins the Government of Egypt’s (GoE) Strategy of Sustainable Agricultural Development 2030, in the first phase of a longer-term national program to modernize irrigation on 5 million feddans (a feddan equals about 0.42 hectare). The grant aims to pilot participatory demand driven approaches for modernizing farm-level irrigation for around 5,000 small-scale farmers in selected command areas of Mahmoudia, Manaifa and Meet Yazid, located in the Nile Delta.

“This grant is a very important as it will allow farmers to participate directly in the design and implementation of improvements of farm level irrigation technology on approximately 7000 feddan of farmland," said A. David Craig, Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti.

Increasing participation in the delivery of services is a new approach for a new Egypt. It will allow farmers to make sure these services are tailored to their needs and it will create an opportunity for local businesses to participate in the delivery of these services.

“This grant promises to have a significant influence on the approach that is used in farm level irrigation service delivery, on the successful implementation of all of the government and donor programs to improve on-farm irrigation, and on helping Egypt reach its ultimate goal of improving irrigation on 5 million feddan,” said Sidi Boubacar, the World Bank Head of Office.