Roundup: Egypt gears up to bridge supply gap of meat, dairy
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E-mail Xinhua, June 15, 2022
MENOUFIA, Egypt, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian government has taken measures to reduce the supply gap of meat and dairy by increasing domestic production, as part of its efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency amid the global supply disruptions.
To achieve its goal, several integrated livestock and dairy production complexes and mechanized slaughterhouses were established in four provinces with a total of 111,000 animals, including 8,000 cows of the best international breeds.
On Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a complex in the Sadat city in Menoufia province, north of the capital of Cairo, which can house up to 5,000 milking cows and 3,000 beef cattle with a production capacity of 1.5 tons of meat per cycle.
"We decided to increase production of livestock whether in veal projects or in other fields to achieve self-sufficiency in meat and dairy and export the surplus abroad," al-Sisi said, adding that meat production is an integrated industry that requires high costs to establish factories and employ qualified workers.
Every year, Egypt consumes nearly 950,000 tons of beef, 520,000 tons of which are produced domestically, and about 7.2 million tons of dairy, 2.2 million tons of which are imported.
"Covering over 4.2 square kilometers, the new complex in Sadat city includes six farms for breeding 1,000 animals, training and research centers, and a vet hospital," Sayed Hodaiby, the manager of the complex, told Xinhua.
It also boasts tanks for preserving 50 tons of milk, stations for treating sewage water, and pulverizers for producing fodder.
"Egypt has planned to maximize its resources through agricultural, livestock and fisheries projects, to bridge or reduce the food supply gap," said Walid Abu El-Magd, general director of the National Service Projects Organization of the Egyptian military.
Egypt is not satisfied with its food output after suffering long years of food shortages as a result of soil erosion and land degradation, as well as the explosive population growth, Abu El-Magd added.
During the ceremony, the Egyptian president also inaugurated a number of livestock and dairy production projects via video conference in Nubaria, New Valley, and Red Sea provinces. Enditem
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