The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Mohamed Abou El Enein called on the government to outline well-studied plans for achieving self-sufficiency of food in the light of the current world food crisis.
His speech came during the House of Representatives session for discussing the extension of suspending taxes imposed on agricultural lands for another year.
Abou El Enein highlighted that the government should deal with the file of self-sufficiency of food with more seriousness, adding that the agricultural investment has several issues.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the domestic investment in the field of agriculture dropped by 5%, in addition, the banking funding for agricultural projects is only 1.3%, although the agriculture represents 11% of the GDP, 25% of the employment rates, and 15% from the exportation.
The Deputy Speaker asserted that President Abdel Fattah Sisi supports the agricultural sector, food security, and backing the farmers through the grand agricultural project of the Decent Life project after long years of neglect.
In the same context, he demanded new agricultural policies for achieving the self-sufficiency of food, alongside, providing the farmers with more support and assistance to encourage them to produce more, and have more profit which will help him to pay his taxes.
The Deputy Speaker explained that the current food crisis requires more serious vission for resisting the impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian war, affirming the importance of setting new system that is based on agricultural investment, and bridges between agricultural production and industry to increase the value of the products, and increase the profits of the famer.
He also referred to the necessity of providing the farmers with the fertilizers, and upgraded tools and machines, alongside putting laws regarding the agricultural contracts, and prices for motivating the farmers. In addition, Abou El Enein recommended dedicating scientific research to using new forms of planets that use few quantities of water with high efficiency.
Abou El Enenin also pointed out that farmers have no syndicate to call for their rights and discuss their issues, adding that 85% of the active farmers are promising ones, and the absence of a strong institution to represent them and defend them as they carry the majority of the production's burdens.
He concluded that farmers should be honoured and rewarded in media, cinema, and drama, and the media should support the National Day of the Farmer due to the farmers' importance in the Egyptian community.
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