Egypt to invest EGP 144.8 bln in agriculture, irrigation in FY25/26

The ministry stated that the package comprises EGP 17.5 billion in public funding and EGP 127.4 billion from the private sector, reflecting Cairo’s efforts to bolster food and water security, enhance productivity, and advance sustainable development goals.

“Agriculture and irrigation are both a cornerstone of national food security and a driver of industrial growth, trade, and logistics,” said planning minister Rania Al-Mashat.

She noted that the sector remains a significant source of income and employment, sustaining livelihoods in rural areas where more than half the population resides.

Rising output targets
 

Agricultural output is projected to hit EGP 3.7 trillion this year, up from an expected EGP 3.3 trillion in 2024/25, with the figure forecast to climb to EGP 5.7 trillion by 2028/29.

Net agricultural value added is targeted at EGP 2.6 trillion in 2025/26, rising to EGP 4 trillion within four years.

The government’s plan prioritizes expanding land reclamation in Toshka, Sinai, and the New Delta; raising crop yields per feddan by 10–15 percent through high-yield seeds and modern irrigation systems; boosting grain storage capacity to 5.5 million tonnes; and extending cultivated land beyond 21 million feddans.

Eighteen new agricultural clusters are to be developed in Sinai, while the Farmer Card scheme will be rolled out to 80 percent of landholders.

The plan also envisions scaling up local seed production to curb imports, expanding greenhouse and protected farming systems, and broadening contract farming to cover maize, cotton, and oilseeds.

Livestock, fisheries, and water management
 

Targets for 2025/26 include adding one million heads of livestock, achieving self-sufficiency in poultry and fish, and increasing red meat self-sufficiency to 60 percent.

Export revenues from agricultural surpluses are projected to exceed $5 billion.

On the irrigation side, investments will fund the rehabilitation and lining of 600 kilometres of canals, the construction or upgrading of more than 600 hydraulic structures, and the completion of the new Dairut Barrages, which will serve 1.6 million feddans in Upper Egypt.

Drainage projects include upgrading major waterways, such as Bahr El-Baqar, and building a 57-kilometre canal in Toshka to improve water flows and expand farmland.

Egypt’s EGP 3.1 trillion draft budget for 2025/26 foresees overall spending exceeding EGP 4.5 trillion.