President Abdel Fattah El Sisi inaugurated on Wednesday  25/12/2019 an integrated animal production complex in Fayoum, Upper Egypt.

The ceremony started with a recitation of verses of the Holy Quran.

Director of the National Service Projects Organization (NSPO) Moustafa Amin then addressed the gathering.

Following directives by President Sisi, NSPO has been working in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture to maximize animal production through cattle breeding projects and automated slaughterhouses, not to mention dairy products factories, Amin said.

All this is meant to narrow the food gap and secure animal products at good quality and price to be able to cope with demands of an ever-growing population in Egypt, he noted.

Amin added that this should also contribute to reducing Egypt's imports of meat and poultry, as well as dairy products.

Such projects are part of a plan to maintain food security, which is key to achieving national security, he stressed.

Besides that, the projects also help create jobs for youth, Amin said.

Amin said his NSPO had implemented a number of projects that contributed to boosting animal wealth and maximizing its revenues.

Established over 485 feddans, the integrated animal production complex in Youssef el Seddiq district of Fayoum includes three breeding farms that could accommodate up to 18,000 head of cattle, Amin told the gathering.

An automated slaughterhouse has also been established in line with advanced international systems and up to quarantine and environmental standards, he said.

A factory is yet to be inaugurated with the aim to produce and pack animal products, Amin added.

He made it clear that an outlet to sell foodstuffs established over an area of 100 square meters will also be opened.

A scientific research and veterinary training center was also built over 13,000 square meters as part of this complex, Amin said.

He added that President Sisi will inaugurate four other animal production complexes, accommodating up to 40,000 head of cattle, in Nubariya city via video conference.

Work is under way to implement nine other farm complexes in the governorates of the New Valley, Menufiya, Behaira, Fayoum and Matrouh, Amin said.

Those should accommodate up to 54,000 head of cattle and should be completed by October 2020, he added.

He touched upon a plan to also establish two integrated automated slaughterhouses in the cities of Safaga and Nubariya to open in April and October 2020, respectively.

Two dairy product factories should also be established by December 2020 to produce a total of 240,000 tons annually, Amin added.

He made it clear that by the end of 2020, the NSPO will have established the first phase of a 1.5mn-cattle-head project ordered by President Sisi, noting that this would cost some 20 billion pounds.

Replying to a question by Sisi regarding unlicensed milk collection centers which were closed for not meeting required standards, the agriculture minister said those centers will be needed to cope with an estimated increase in production from genetically improved cattle.

It is thus important to not only legalize the status of those existing centers, but to also establish more of them, Qassir stressed.

The minister assured that cooperation with the NSPO will continue to develop animal wealth and secure safe food for the Egyptian people.

MENA