Day 1
On 27/1/2025, EU-ZIRA3A, along with representatives from the EU Delegation in Egypt and NWRC (National Water Research Center), visited the agricultural directorate in Sohag and Al-Gubeirat agriculture cooperative in Tahta District. The visit included meeting stakeholders and local authorities to discuss EU-ZIRA3A’s interventions in these areas. Additionally, the team visited the selected command area EL-Amour Canal and met beneficiaries to coordinate the irrigation component.
EU-ZIRA3A is expected to provide machinery for small farmers at Al-Gubeirat agriculture cooperative in Tahta District, Sohag Governorate, supporting them in seasonal operations. The Programme aims to enhance access for 1200 farmers to pre-contracted cultivation, rehabilitate the cooperative’s building and storage, and develop a model for unified agricultural rotation managed by a Collective Agricultural Committee to maximize benefits and reduce costs for fragmented fields. The total cultivated area for El-Gebyrat agricultural cooperative is 1424 feddan.
El Amour Canal in Sohag Governorate, is a 7.400 km long canal and serves a total area of 4730 feddan. EU-ZIRA3A programme will focus on rehabilitating the irrigation canal in Juhayna district, establishing Water User Associations, and providing training on modern irrigation techniques to improve water efficiency in the area.
Day 2
On 28/1/2025, EU-ZIRA3A, along with representatives from the EU Delegation in Egypt visited the Sugar and Refining Factory at Girga district- Sohag Governorate to assess the support needed for EU-ZIRA3A’s implementation.
EU-ZIRA3A, along with Sohag Agriculture Directorate, and the Sugar Refining Factory will collaborate to boost sugarcane supply to the factory through several initiatives such as enhancing sugarcane farming by providing training and demonstration fields, developing a mobile app for farmers, disseminating agricultural guidance through media and social platforms, and establishing a contracting unit to facilitate direct sales to the factory.
