President Abdel Fatah al Sisi headed to Farafra Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert Wednesday to launch the first phase of a national mega project aims to expand the country’s farmland by 1.5 million feddans.
“The first phase includes reclaiming 10,000 feddans located at Farafra’s Amal village where a total of 50 groundwater wells will operate by solar-powered pumping stations for irrigation purposes,” Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy was quoted by Youm7 Tuesday.
The one million feddan land reclamation project was announced shortly after Sisi took office in June 2014 in a move to boost the agriculture sector which constitutes 17 percent of Egypt’s GDP. The target has been increased from one to 1.5 million feddans; a feddan is equivalent to approximately one acre.
The project targets land reclamation in different areas of Egypt’s western desert including the Qattara Depression and Toshka region where a total of 600 groundwater wells are being drilled, said Moghazy.
Source: The Cairo Post
