Egypt State Information Service (Cairo)
23 December 2011
Prime Minister Dr. Kamal El-Ganzouri held a meeting in his office Thursday 22/12/2011 to tackle measures to develop Sinai and implement agricultural projects there.
The meeting was attended by the ministers of planning, agriculture and irrigation along with former housing minister Hasballah el-Kafrawi and a number of experts.
Following the meeting, Irrigation Minister Hisham Qandil said the ministerial commission concerned with the development of Sinai will resume its meetings until a report on investment-ready lands in Sinai is completed.
The meeting focused on activating national projects in Sinai, he said.
For his part, Agriculture Minister Mohamed Reda Ismail said 78,000 feddans of arable lands in Sinai will be put up for investment within two weeks.
Up to 50 percent of them will be allocated for investment, 30 percent for Sinai residents and the remaining for young farmers and fresh graduates, he said.
Dr. Mohamed Reda Ismail Agriculture Minister said 78,000 feddans are ready for cultivation in Sinai 50 percent of them will be dedicated to investment 20 percent for small farmers of graduates and 30 percent for the people of Sinai.
The committee formed by the Prime Minister headed by Electricity Minister Dr. Hassan Younis and comprises planning and international cooperation, local development and finance ministers will continue to follow up the situation of developing Sinai.
There are 400,000 feddans in Middle Sinai at the areas of Al Sarew and Al Gawarir which are cultivable after the economic situation is improved.
Three billion feddans will grow wheat, the Minister said adding that 50 percent of any cultivable land will grow wheat.
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