Government Partnership Transforms Agricultural Waste Into Sustainable Feed, Fertilizer

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, met to strategize on optimizing agricultural and animal waste for organic feed and fertilizer production. This initiative aims to enhance sustainability and reduce dependence on imported feed.

Minister Farouk directed ministry officials to coordinate closely with the Ministry of Environment to streamline implementation and eliminate regulatory or logistical hurdles. He also encouraged private sector investment, assuring that the Ministry of Agriculture is ready to provide technical support through its research centers.

Minister Fouad reaffirmed the government's dedication to agricultural waste management, noting that a strategic framework had already been presented to the Prime Minister. This effort led to Cabinet Resolution No. 1115 of 2023, which established a high-level committee-chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture-to oversee the integration of agricultural residues into feed production.

She outlined the Ministry of Environment's initiatives, including legislative advancements, regulatory reforms, and awareness campaigns aimed at curbing harmful practices like agricultural waste burning. One of the ministry's key achievements is the air pollution management system for rice straw burning, which has successfully collected and compacted 90% of rice straw, creating investment opportunities by supporting contractors with specialized waste collection equipment.

Fouad also highlighted the ministry's push for bioenergy (biogas) production, citing the installation of 1,921 biogas units that collectively generate 2.152 million cubic meters of gas annually-equivalent to 86,000 butane gas cylinders. These units process 53.8 tonnes of biowaste, producing approximately 50,000 tons of organic fertilizer.

Investment opportunities in the agricultural waste sector were a focal point of the discussion. Projects include a €70 million palm frond recycling factory in the New Valley aimed at wood production, initiatives to extract oils from prickly pear seeds, and efforts to produce amorphous silica from rice straw. Additionally, developments in non-traditional animal feed derived from agricultural residues were explored.

During the meeting, officials reviewed challenges in agricultural residue utilization and deliberated on solutions. A detailed presentation revealed that Egypt produces 40–45 million tons of agricultural waste annually, much of which is already used in compost production, bioenergy generation, and industries such as wood manufacturing.

The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to expanding these initiatives, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and attracting more investors to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of agricultural waste utilization.

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