Nesma Hamad MSC, PhD student Campus El Gouna

1. Agriculture in The Red Sea Nesma Hamad MSC, PhD student Campus El Gouna

2. Agriculture current situation in the Red Sea Potential reasons behind this situation Proposed solutions Concluding remarks

3. Agriculture current situation in the Red Sea The Total Agricultural Land Compared To The Total Area In The Red Sea (2014) Source: Area Directorate (2015)

4. Agriculture current situation in the Red Sea

5. Agriculture current situation in the Red Sea • It includes large flat desert land with a good soil, and the groundwater is available at distances ranging between 15 and 50 meters. • The Department of Agriculture in the Red Sea estimated the area of lands that were taken over from this area by the people's, businessmen and Mafiaof land by 400 thousand feddan all of it is suitable for agriculture by 90% of the land size.

6. Agriculture current situation in the Red Sea

7. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation • The strategic planning for the Red Sea Governorate and it’s nature led us to our present state

8. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation A- Governorate Planning For The Red Sea 1- The emphasize of the Red Sea governorate planning and financial support to the tourism sector and neglecting of the agricultural sector • Many investors choose to invest in tourism rather than agriculture • Budget directed to the development of the agricultural sector by the government wasn’t sufficient to induce the desired results 2- The increase in urbanism policy • Less farms to do more work. • The location of these farms in remote places

9. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation A- Governorate Planning for The Red Sea 3- Lack of services • The location of reclaimed land in very remote areas' from the markets where transport facilities and electricity are not available. • In addition to Unpaved roads to reach to their farms. • All this make it difficult to attract young farmer and investors. 4- Lack of education and training policy • Some crops require specialized labor • Labor have a significant impact on productivity.

10. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation A- Governorate Planning For The Red Sea 5- The absence of financial support to farmers • Effect the transfer to sustainable agriculture negatively, because it depending on capital intensity, both in the purchase of mechanical machinery or fertilizer. 6- Lack of government production plan and information • The absence of the consolidated and comprehensive view of the provienc's interests in land use planning and development • The lack of information led to growing crops that economical unfeasible or with high costs compared to it’s profitability

11. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation B- The Nature of the Red Sea 1- The High Wind 2- High Temperature 3- Lack of Water

12. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation B- The Nature Of The Red Sea 1- High wind • The studies showed that The An estimated average annual wind speed between (7.1: 11.3) knot • The high wind speed causes break in Some legs of some weak plants, as well as its role in soil erosion , especially in the dry areas like the red sea .

13. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation B- The Nature Of The Red Sea 2- High Temperature • Last year, temperatures have recorded a non prior rise that exceeded the extent °40 C, which has a detrimental effect on plants. • The annual rate of evaporation in the red sea ranged between (13.9 to 16.8 mm) from Hurghada to Ras Banas. While the correlation coefficient between evaporation and temperature reached to (0.7) and the wind speed (- 0.23), while there is a negative correlation with the rain (-0.42) and relative humidity (-0.87) • All this affects the degree of the need for these plants to the water in the ground, Which already suffer from water shortage

14. Potential Reasons Behind This Situation B- The Nature Of The Red Sea Lack of water • There are two lines of drinking water and they are not enough to meet the basic needs of drinking water and that has required the establishment of desalination plants and it’s production are barely enough

15. Water resources

16. Why a Sustainable Agriculture is needed in the Red Sea? • To avoid Negative Impacts for disaster • Regions reliant upon tourism only tend to develop adverse, long term environmental problems (Reduced biodiversity, Decreased economic, social and cultural values) • For the past several years research has looked at sustainable agriculture as a potential solution to correct and prevent these problems • Sustainable Agriculture is: economically Viable, socially supportive, and ecologically sound

17. What is the Proposed Solutions? 1- capacity building of farmers through training and availability of information • Giving training and information That can support better crop, fertilizer, pesticide selection and improves land and water management. • Such training programs in East Africa boosted average incomes by 61%. • provides access to weather information, and connects farmers to sources of credit. • Giving farmers information about crop prices in different markets increases their bargaining power.

18. What is the Proposed Solutions? • 2. Step up integration into Agricultural Value Chains (AVCs) • Government support, crucial to coordinate the integration of smallholder farmers into larger cooperatives and groups. • At the local level, farmer organizations have a key role to play in facilitating access to resources, and ensuring that the farmer perspective is heard .

19. What is the Proposed Solutions? • 3. Reform land ownership with productivity • The red sea has a big area of uncultivated land. 724 feddan. This results from poor land governance and ownership. • There is a need for Land reform rules that clearly define property rights and ensure the productivity.

20. What is the Proposed Solutions? 4- Improve services • Improve infrastructure, Paving roads to farms. providing electricity and facilitate transportation • provide the needed services can enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole."

21. What is the Proposed Solutions? 6. Put a local production plan to plant high-yield crops • Farming plants which takes into account the unique soil types of the red sea, and achieve a profitable return is a major requirement. • According to the research, the average annual relative humidity in the Red Sea between (46.6%: 71.3%). It has significant impact on some crops like the trees mangroves, it can overcome water scarcity

22. What is the Proposed Solutions? 6. Put a local production plan to plant high-yield crops • Like jajopa, moringa, According to the research, the plant jojoba and moringa can bear the harsh conditions of cold and heat and does not need a large amount of water. • Egypt imports 67% of its Needs from abroad of oil, especially jojoba oil, Moringa. • According to agricultural expert to plant a million feddan of these two plants can bring Egypt 50 billion Egyptian pounds.

23. What is the Proposed Solutions? 7. boost researches to Adopt genetically modified (GM) crops to improve plant performance under drought • Boost researches to develop high-yield GM crops that are resistant to weather shocks provide an opportunity for red sea to address food insecurity.

24. What is the Proposed Solutions? 8. Increase the use of fertilizers • Because of the salinity of water and soil as well as soil fertility deteriorates fertilizer use must increase and amendments to overcome salinity of the water, soil . • Governments need to ensure the right type of fertilizers and amendments are available at the right price, and at the right times.

25. What is the Proposed Solutions? 8. Afford water • Boost irrigation from sustainable source like sea water • Drill more wells

26. What is the Proposed Solutions? 9- Integrated innovation and technology • Technological advancements can improve the yield in the agricultural sector by faces multiple limiting factors such as water, energy • Use of solar energy pumping water, greenhouses and crop drying . • Solar desalination • Planting Wind Energy on Farms

27. What is the Proposed Solutions? 10. Put a local agriculture plan and strategies that can attract private investors and enhance ppp investments • The transition from conventional to sustainable farming is usually costly. agriculture requires more private investment and partnership with the government • But Investors shy away due lack of legal and policy framework • A local plan is a necessity to define a strategy or rules for farmers to abide by

28. What Is The Proposed Solutions? • Local government in the red sea must improve its coordination with other relevant ministries in order to improve the formulation of policies and strategies • Imbedded Government incentives for green Technologies. That encourage the use of more environmentally friendly farming techniques and technologies. • By governmental financial support the investors can improve their return on investment

29. Concluding Remarks • A better and sustainable way to increase agricultural productivity is to attract and integrate private investment along with providing financial incentives, and at the same time support to increase capacity building of farmers • In the case of the Red Sea, the specialization may be useful and generates income much more than diversity or growing plants are not commensurate with the natural in the Red Sea

30. Thankyou Questions