The Minister of Supply meets with the Rwandan Ambassador to exchange expertise in food security and storage silos.

Ahmed Salem

Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, received Ambassador Dan Munyoza, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

This came to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation and exchange experiences in the areas of food security, grain storage and strategic reserve management.

The meeting comes as part of the Ministry's keenness to enhance cooperation with sister African countries and support sustainable development efforts and achieve food security in the African continent.

The Egyptian experience in developing barns and silos

During the discussions, Dr. Sherif Farouk reviewed the Egyptian experience in developing the grain storage silo system and the significant expansions it has undergone, which have contributed to increasing storage capacities, raising the efficiency of strategic stock management, reducing losses, and maintaining grain quality. He also reviewed the system for trading and supplying wheat and the mechanisms for managing the strategic reserve of basic commodities, which enhances the state’s ability to secure citizens’ needs and achieve market stability.

The meeting also addressed the Egyptian state’s efforts in developing the infrastructure related to food security, and the importance of the modern silo system in supporting supply chains, raising the efficiency of grain storage and reducing losses, which enhances the state’s ability to manage the strategic stock with high efficiency.

The two sides discussed opportunities for technical cooperation and exchange of experiences in the areas of establishing, managing and operating modern silos and managing strategic reserves, in addition to cooperation in the areas of training, capacity building and knowledge transfer to workers in the relevant authorities, and benefiting from Egyptian experiences in reducing post-harvest losses and raising the efficiency of the storage and handling system.

Benefiting from Egyptian expertise in constructing grain storage facilities

The Rwandan side also expressed its interest in benefiting from Egyptian expertise in the design and construction of silos and grain storage facilities, and in taking advantage of the pioneering Egyptian experience in this field, which supports Rwanda’s efforts to develop its grain storage infrastructure and enhance its capabilities in the field of food security.

Dr. Sherif Farouk affirmed that the Egyptian state possesses an integrated experience in managing the food security system and developing the infrastructure for grain storage, pointing to the importance of strengthening cooperation with sister African countries and exchanging experiences and successful practices in a way that supports sustainable development efforts and enhances economic integration among the countries of the continent.

For his part, Ambassador Dan Munozza praised Egypt’s successes in developing the silo system and managing the strategic reserve of basic commodities, stressing his country’s interest in benefiting from Egyptian expertise in these areas, particularly with regard to grain management, strategic storage, silo construction and institutional capacity building, expressing his hope to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries in the coming period.

The two sides agreed to continue coordination between the relevant authorities in the two countries to discuss areas of cooperation of common interest, and to study organizing technical visits for Rwandan specialists and experts to learn about the Egyptian experience in managing silos and strategic storage facilities, in order to support technical cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two sides.

Egypt and Rwanda: Cooperation on food security is essential

Both sides affirmed that cooperation in the areas of food security and grain storage is one of the important pillars for supporting sustainable development efforts in the African continent, especially in light of the global challenges related to supply chains and food security.

They stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between African countries and exchanging successful experiences in order to contribute to building sustainable national capacities and achieving food security for the peoples of the continent.

This meeting comes within the framework of the Egyptian state’s orientation towards strengthening cooperation with sister African countries in the fields related to food security and sustainable development, and transferring successful Egyptian experiences in developing the infrastructure for storing grains and managing strategic reserves, in a way that contributes to supporting African economic integration efforts and enhancing the ability of the continent’s countries to face the challenges related to food security and supply chains, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s vision for a more stable and prosperous future.

The Republic of Rwanda is one of the African countries that has achieved remarkable growth and development rates in recent years, and seeks to develop its agricultural infrastructure and food security systems, which opens up broad prospects for cooperation with Egypt and benefiting from its accumulated expertise in the fields of grain storage, strategic stock management and the development of food supply chains, which enhances opportunities for partnership and cooperation between the two countries in various fields of common interest.

The embassy delegation included His Excellency Ambassador Dan Munyoza, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Second Counselor Alice Awabiza, and Executive Administrator Nourhan Ahmed.

Also present at the meeting from the Ministry were Dr. Ashraf Sadek, CEO of the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos and Storage, Mr. Ahmed Kamal, Assistant Minister and official spokesperson for the Ministry, Dr. Doaa Nabil, Assistant Minister for International Relations and Agreements, and Ms. Sarah Al-Azzazi, Head of the Central Administration for the Minister’s Office Affairs.