Alaa added that the project’s first phase will involve cultivating 1,000 acres, expected to be completed by September 2025.
Chinese investors, in collaboration with Egypt’s private and public sectors, have formed an investment alliance to establish an integrated agricultural complex spanning 1 million acres in El Wadi El Gedid Governorate.
The project involves investments of approximately $7 billion, according to Mohamed Alaa, Secretary General of the Egyptian-Chinese Businessmen Association who spoke to Asharq Bloomberg.
Alaa added that the project’s first phase will involve cultivating 1,000 acres, expected to be completed by September 2025.
Discussions regarding the remaining phases will soon take place with the Egyptian Prime Minister, as the implementation schedule is yet to be finalized.
He highlighted that the project is supported by the Chinese government and financed by private Chinese companies.
It will focus on growing strategic crops such as wheat, corn, soybeans, and sunflower, alongside various fruits aimed at export to Europe.
Egypt is one of the world’s largest wheat importers, with its purchases closely monitored as a global benchmark. The country typically imports up to 12 million tons annually for both the public and private sectors.
Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and land reclamation, Alaa Farouk, said that representatives from the Chinese alliance and Egyptian government officials visited El Wadi El Gedid Governorate to explore cultivating several strategic crops, particularly wheat, to reduce reliance on imports, enhance local production, and save foreign currency.
Farouk also noted that the alliance will grow corn, fruits, and high-value aromatic and medicinal plants. They will also establish greenhouses, nurseries, and date palm farms, focusing on high-yield crops with minimal water usage. The produce from these farms will be primarily exported, especially to Europe.
Since 2015, the Egyptian government has aimed to reclaim and cultivate 1.5 million acres across various governorates, particularly in Upper Egypt, South Valley, and Sinai.
The Minister of Agriculture added that the government will assist the Chinese alliance in establishing an advanced agricultural research complex and an integrated agricultural-industrial hub to localize several agricultural industries in El Wadi El Gedid Governorate.
