Egypt Expands Farm Advisory Programmes to Counter Climate Risks

Egypt is stepping up efforts to strengthen agricultural advisory services to help farmers cope with climate change, expanding field outreach, digital tools and pest monitoring programmes, officials said.

The Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) said it had released material outlining government measures to boost the resilience of the farm sector, including comments from a senior agriculture official.

Ahmed Rizk, head of the agricultural services sector at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, said extension services were the “first line of defence” against increasingly volatile weather, playing a central role in guiding farmers throughout the growing season.

Extension teams maintain regular contact with farmers to relay technical guidance issued by the Agricultural Research Center on crop management, irrigation, fertilisation and pest control, he said.

Teams were deployed ahead of recent spells of heavy rain and strong winds to raise awareness and advise on precautionary steps, Rizk said, adding their role continues after such events by providing guidance on disease control, soil salinity and crop stress.

Climate change is also affecting pest patterns, with shifts in temperature and humidity altering life cycles and, in some cases, increasing the number of generations, posing additional challenges for farmers, he said.

Egypt has developed spatial and temporal pest maps over the past two years to track outbreaks and determine intervention timing, particularly for key crops such as wheat, maize and cotton, with plans to expand coverage, he added.

Authorities are also testing pesticide effectiveness under different climate conditions before approval, while advising farmers to use only registered products.

Precautionary measures include clearing drainage canals to prevent flooding and advising farmers to avoid irrigation ahead of strong winds to limit crop damage.

Egypt is also monitoring desert locust movements, a cross-border threat linked to wind and rainfall patterns. While outbreaks have been reported in parts of Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco, no threat has been detected in Egypt so far, Rizk said.

More than 7,000 demonstration fields have been set up for wheat this season, officials said, as part of broader efforts to improve productivity.

The government is also expanding digital advisory services to maintain contact with farmers and provide guidance across the production cycle, aiming to reduce losses and improve crop quality.