Reflections on the agenda of the initial proposal to the issues of agriculture in Egypt.. and comment

 

.. Note: reflections by Dr. Hassan Abu Bakar
Professor cultivation Cairo University,             
                                                                         
Comment by Bashir Saqr
Member of the Committee of Solidarity with the peasants agricultural reform – Egypt                 
 
First: reflections
 
: General internal challenges:
 
* Tendency of the formulation of policies, and practices for the benefit of the rich associated power.
). * Corruption of the facts become known to many citizens (the allocation of state land trade, pesticides, bribes …. etc.).
. * General apathy and low energy performance in many sectors of national including agriculture, and lack of hope for a good thing.
* Gap between policy and decision-making on the one hand and the view of science, experience and efficiency on the other.
* Low education in general and mental deterioration of scientific research and its potential, and the deterioration of the values of knowledge, innovation and creativity.
* Illiteracy is still prevalent in rural and agricultural sector, in particular, and particularly among women and girls.
* Review the role of Egypt’s regional and international levels, thereby weakening their negotiating capacity and its ability to resist pressures and changes.
 
:Global challenges increase pressure on the Egyptian Agriculture:
 
* Change the climate of the planet due to increased emissions of greenhouse gases. وما قد يؤدي إليه من: And could lead him:
Drowned parts of the northern areas of the Delta and the Mediterranean coast.
Salinization other parts of the land of the delta.
The high temperature and its impact on the productivity of basic crops such as wheat.
Mention the fluctuation of the Nile River (between scenarios decrease scenarios flood).
. – Demographic and social consequences – economic consequences of that.
 (affected the overall national income (tourism, for example  
. – Affected the relationship with the global markets export and import activities.
* New directions for the production of fuel from grain crops in some countries (the United States – Brazil, for example)
* Change international trade standards – both for political reasons, or for competition, or of the growing awareness of environmental and social groups have consumers.
The persistence of unfair trade relations with crop prices for crude on the one hand and input prices (often under a semi-monopoly by major agricultural companies) and the prices of manufactured products.
* Change-commerce techniques, tools and leave the Egyptian market to them.
* Global financial crisis and its repercussions expected.
The role of multinational corporations (genetically engineered products, camel and seeds of high productivity – agricultural chemicals and other production requirements … etc.).
. * The role of international financial institutions.
 
: Opportunities for Egyptian Agriculture
 
. * Test and a limited – but important and deserve study – to train and organize farmers into associations and allow them access to knowledge and technology and the market.
. * Experience of farmers field schools in Fayoum and Ismailia.
* The growth of organic agriculture movement in Egypt and their counterparts across the world.
* Comparative advantage – albeit fragile and vulnerable – to Egyptian farmers in the sectors of Mahdp Kalkhaddr, fruits, medicinal and aromatic plants* The existence of research and studies and experiments are limited to a reasonable and promising techniques in agriculture and agro-processing, feed and organic fertilizer and recycling of waste* Massive infrastructure – could be activated and development – in agricultural research centers, universities and companies.
. * New proposals and rich variety of alternative crops to defy the prevailing Western-style of agriculture based on high inputs from outside the farm – should be openness and engagement with them, benefit from and add to.
 
Important elements are the image of the Egyptian Agriculture:
 
 1 – The countryside and farmers
2 – policies, laws and legislation
3 – Research and Training
4 – extension
5 – Agriculture on the agendas of political parties in the media
 6 – land and agricultural soils
7 – water resources.
8 – Energy
9 – agricultural technology.
. 10 – agricultural production and livestock and the food gap.
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The countryside and farmers -1
. The continuation of the wide gap between rural and urban areas, for distributing wealth and the enjoyment of basic services and opportunities for development in general, to growing unemployment in the countryside and the continuing rural-urban migration.
. * Associated decline in health care, education and housing services and the continued marginalization of women and children and exploitation in agriculture Bogeoroq)
. * (Peasants are the direct producers working on their land or the land of others (agricultural workers
* Access to agricultural land: loss of the opportunity the vast majority, and difficult to many, with the exclusion of almost entirely of women.
* Organization of Peasants: the absence of trade unions and farmers in actuality, the collapse of the agricultural cooperation under the weight of bureaucracy and state and linking role in pushing the decline of agricultural production and improve the conditions of farmers.
Control of large farmers and exporters of quality Alathaddat
The limited size and impact of the civil work (NGOs and community development associations) among farmers and farm workers.
* The absence of peasant organizations to:
Difficulty in obtaining training and guidance (defined and Technology)
Difficulty in obtaining loans and production requirements.
Gross disparity between crop prices (farm price) and consumer price (for a series of dealers and brokers)
. – The erosion of traditional knowledge and experiences in agricultural production and rural industries and dealing with the environmental resources of local and traditional culture in generalThe difficulty recognition, and benefit from innovations and innovations of farmers.
 
2 – policies, laws and legislation:
The impact of structural and qualitative rent laws to deny agricultural holdings of small farmers safe.
Bias policies and laws for older farmers and farm owners and the new capital.
Speculation on the ground.
Poor distribution of land tenure and the absence of an accurate map of the patterns of the relationship between land and the farmer.
Confused policies with regard to the provision of raw materials is causing bottlenecks and periodic crises suffered by farmers and their impact extends to the whole society.
. – The absence of clear political will to preserve agricultural land in the valley and delta of the erosion and loss.
 
3 – Research and Training:
The collapse of secondary schools in the collapse of the agricultural system of technical education in general.
Weak demand for the study of agriculture (agricultural colleges) in recent years.
The deteriorating conditions of scientific research and teaching in universities and agricultural research centers.
Weak links between research topics and problems faced by agriculture in fact, twice the capacity of research centers on "alert" to resolve the problems occurred in a timely manner (white fly in the late eighties, Pests of citrus, palm weevil ..)
        – The almost complete absence of training institutions, agricultural workers and raising productivity and enabling them to acquire skills and knowledge improve their (the farmers farmers, the farmers and traders, farmers and factory).
 
4 – extension:
 
Another problem, approaching the level of crisis situations, mainly linked to agricultural extension state Despite the existence of massive infrastructure in the form of institutes and departments and large army of agricultural workers, but that the rule of the central curriculum and the flow of information from one party (from the top down always), and the adoption of outdated methods for the delivery of knowledge and innovations, and the absence of on-the-job training, lack of supply of workers
 
Information, tools and resources. All led to a lack of guidance on the performance of his work, despite repeated declaration that the new post of the Ministry of Agriculture will focus on policy and guidance. Despite the rumors were always bias in the provision of extension services to older farmers, but it seems that now it is a minor extension to the provision of such services to older farmers who are their access to information from other sources, internal and external much stronger.
 
5 – Agriculture on the agendas of political parties and forces, and in the media:
 
The absence of a clear vision for the future of the Egyptian Agriculture and its economic, social and cultural development.
. – The rule impressions and sending statements, the party’s narrow view of the issues of agriculture have many political forces.
. – Non-precision approach and non-specialist to the issues of agriculture in the media in general.
The absence of accurate and updated information and conflicting figures and data, making all the debate on the issues would be meaningless.
6 – land and agricultural soils:
* The continued erosion of fertile agricultural land and the construction of the annexation cordons cities and aggression by both the government and people alike
: * Maim and bias policies land reclamation and cultivation of desert is in:
– – The rule of illusions "megaprojects"
. – Granting land to owners of older Egyptians and non-Egyptians and large companies.
Reduced opportunities for small farmers and young farmers to have access to new land
… – The rule of the missing property and morphological social and land conversion for agricultural tourism
projects and resorts
. Etc..
* Land degradation due to the old stress and pollution of agricultural chemicals and rising ground water levels and salinity.
 [According to a recent World Bank study that Egypt had lost 3.6% of the land of the delta between 1972-1984, and had lost 5.7% between the years 84-1990, and by 2010 will be Egypt has lost 12% of its most fertile agricultural lands by 38% in the past].
* Lack of clear strategies against the pressures on agricultural land .. Because of population growth, such as the issue of agriculture out of Egypt (Sudan, for example).
 
7 – Water:
 
In my view, the wate They constitute the greatest challenge to the Egyptian Agriculture, now and in the future
 Hence they deserve the greatest attention from policy makers and researchers alike.
The issue of water in agriculture Egyptian include the amount of water available and relatively consistent and current water resources, water quality (the continuing deterioration in the quality of water pollution because of his sources and because of the various re-use of water without adequate treatment), these two cases linked to the question how to manage demand for water, with its technological dimensions And social, political and economic.
One of the issues relevant here:
Poor distribution of water to farmers and land.
Water distribution policies seriously, the result of the projects.
Efficient use of water for different crops.
Claims pricing of irrigation water.
Found the establishment of water users associations linked to attempts to strip it of bureaucracy and the dimensions of community and democracy.
The search for additional resources for water: desalination of sea water – the rationalization of irrigation – crop of high consumption of water projects – Upper Nile.
Legal and legislative aspects: the law criminalizes the contamination of water resources, but does not criminalize wasted.
 
: 8 – Energy:
 
.Energy used in agriculture should be seen as the amount of calories to produce and the calories of food for exampleUnfortunately, the adoption of agriculture prevalent in the world (West – talk) to a high degree of foreign supplies, and huge quantities of fossil fuel energy are depleted. In view of the limited resources of Egypt from this type of energy (oil and natural gas), the Egyptian Agriculture already facing acute energy crisis Even if these sources, agriculture will remain far from that described sustainability, profitability or even no solution except interest in renewable sources of energy (the sun – wind – biogas, etc. ..) and to maximize the benefit from the potential of natural systems (organic fertilization and vital fertilization), manufacturing However, the agricultural Central, and to consider the prevailing methods for the transfer of goods (now the neglect of river transport, railways and rely primarily on trucks).
 
: 9 – agricultural technology:
It is strongly linked to the previous point (energy), and also with the training and research and education, an issue closely related to social and economic convenience, and the organization of farmers in the cooperative societies productivity
: The conditions of agricultural technologies associated with the current number of important issues:
Waste water
The pollution of the soil and agricultural products affected wildlife and public health for farmers and consumers (higher reliance on chemicals and agricultural)
High rates of wasting the same crop (harvesting practices and post-harvest including transport, marketing, manufacturing and processing ..)
Establishing the dependence of peasants, international companies and agents, local varieties (high productivity / high input requirement).
The absence of appropriate technologies for small farmers and small spaces.
 
: 10 – agricultural production and animal:
 
* Egypt face a gap in the production of grain, oil and animal protein, including eggs and dairy products.
. * The inability to achieve self-sufficiency is compounded by the inability to reach terms of a just and decent with the global and regional markets.
And not resolving important issues such as production for export (as an example the case of rice) and production to meet the needs of people and left to exporters (in the framework of liberalization of agriculture) more distorted the Egyptian Agriculture.
And increase the gap meat and animal protein such problems as bird flu, which overthrew the poultry industry an important economic sector, and the ability of small farmers to raise poultry at home the same time (awareness campaigns recently became aware of the importance of achieving a balance between domestic and continuing education to maintain the health of citizens).
Q is the question of technology – we see more attention on livestock (mainly cattle and buffalo) to the detriment of animals better able to adapt to the Egyptian Environmental Kaghannm, goats, camels, geese and ducks ..).
 
Dr. Hassan Abu Bakar
Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University                                                        November 2008.                                                  
 
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Second: comment
 
Dr. Hassan Abu Bakr, dozens of issues relevant to the dilemma of the Egyptian Agriculture, along with the rise in the clash with the appetiteSince it is generally difficult to deal with the dilemma of such elements in a few leaflets, but Our sense of scientific monitoring of political and clear a number of challenges and opportunities for the Egyptian Agriculture prelude to the picture painted of the features of agriculture in brevity.
* As the title of his talk with reflections, although he did not raise explicit questions answered contribute in the development of solutions or entrances solutions The dilemma of Agriculture, however, the way he presented the topic pushed us to put some of these questions, and allow us to choose the features of the picture painted by a number of critical issues we see in the dialogue, which reckoned with.
The first of these questions is: where to begin and how?, And second: Are the problems of the Egyptian Agriculture and dilemmas come from within or is the root of these problems coming from outside? أم الإثنين معا؟ Or a combination of both?
.. Q: Our early because many of the issues of living, it is necessary to answer the third question to say: Our raised as topics .. ما What are the issues that could be considered as the main dilemma of the Egyptian Agriculture and transmitting the rest of the contents of talking to smaller workshops are the key to this? That if we have addressed and we have faced and we were able to break. Is dealing with the rest of seminars related easier?
* In answering the first question of Bam start We need to review the ten features of the image of the Our and, I would imagine that it can be divided into three groups or packages of issues, namely:
1 – ؛Policy formulation, legislation and laws – the countryside and farmers – Agriculture in the programs of political parties
2 –  Education, scientific research and training in the field of agriculture – agricultural extension – agricultural technology
3 – ِA gricultural  land and soil – water resources – energy – plant and animal production – the food gapِ  
 
We also believe that the first package of issues is the key to the dilemma of the Egyptian Agriculture while Alochritan represent great importance despite its own workshops.
.. And the main thought is the heart of the issue he entrance to answer the question of Bam start In summary form, are dealing with:
The political track (theoretical, practical and legal) dilemmas of agriculture on the one hand ..
. – The manifestations of that course in the countryside and farmers and producers in connection with rolling agricultural land, and the manner in which they exercise their production and try to defend their interests, and forms combining them to resist the forces that control the countryside on the other.
The role of political parties in their understanding of the practical and position them on the third.
.. We are at this point to note that within this awareness is the key dimensions of public policy, agriculture and farmers as well as the organization of practical starting point ..
. * The policies were canceled by a number of laws vital for agriculture, and worked to restore the territory of guard and a good part of the land reform of the agricultural Zraaha farmers, and removed the right of farmers to lease land suitable rental periods commensurate with the production, leading to chaos crop structure and the deterioration of cotton cultivation and processing , And blocked the agricultural cooperation, and have all the means of agricultural production of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides and feed machines in the hands of traders, brokers, representatives of major multinational companies operating in this area, and farmers LANCASTER funds, which is capital money for the associations for banks, agricultural villages and raised the interest rates on loans of agricultural 4% to 18% this year and ended on agricultural credit, and surrounded the scientific research and agricultural education, eliminated the poultry industry and blind to the invasion of livestock diseases, as well as the hit land erosion for the construction and speculation, and marred the soil flooding pesticides harmful impact of avian diseases Liver and kidney cancer.
 
. * And policies which deprive farmers is one of the most important means of production – land – to restoring the minds of the dramatic scenes of accumulation in the first beginnings of the capitalist system in Europe, and paid many of the tenants to stop farming and many of the young owners to get rid of their land to poor economic viability.
 
.. Impoverished farmers and tying them up and weakened their resistance only in exceptional cases and spontaneous donations do not soon subside, and kept the gap between rural and urban areas very wide .. إلخ Etc.
 
* The policies are codified by the opposition political activity and opened a single channel is that the scenery of the multiplicity of false, not only serve the ruling regime, which has accumulated.
 
* Short Awareness of the dimensions of such policies, laws and legislation is made or the entrance of the first steps of resistance . The awareness is not just a general understanding on the understanding abstract but concrete and Yany putting our hands on the manifestations of aggression on the land and agriculture and farmers at the same point in the right direction, and supplemented the other hand, farmers have to acquire all the methods and techniques, which attracted the attendance formed a political union and then Wall rollback of the policies of the ruling regime of all groups and classes and alliances at home and abroad.
 
* Will not accept the farmers to engage in any organizational forms without this awareness.. Awareness of the essence and content management.. All that was built during the past eras in the life of farmers was lack of awareness of concrete and Yani, and that is why all those forms collapsed or did not last .. The peasants remained bereft of the most important weapons.
 
.. * If the main dilemmas of Agriculture is the first package of issues identified in his Meditations for Our profile in the countryside, and if awareness and regulation are at the heart of the seminar, experience and practi
ce is the way to build a wall of the agricultural connection
.. First to stop an attack of such policies and secondly to curb and reverse effect.
 
* Practice is that unite our consciousness, organization and policy It is missing the right of other troubled issues of agriculture and farmers, and the practice is that educate farmers and trained to resist and to stimulate continued to reflect on what has driven beyond the nose or under his feet The transformation of the peasant masses to the class together.
 
The regime is aware that seeks to block it activity in the countryside and wid
 It is feared the accumulation of such
. On the contrary, welcomed the Balndhalat ceremonial and rhetorical Edmnha many of us.
 
It also seeks to divide the ranks of peasant Baptdaa new definition of farmer as the owner of more than three acres, while slowly and adults keen to push the owners of least three acres to farm workers union held The grips are not as farmers.
 
.. It is already clear that the dilemmas of the Egyptian Agriculture root coming from outside and contributed to the roots of other minor culture within Almost number and the intensity that suggests that the problem stems from the Egyptian Agriculture inside, but will find it in detail, the opposite is true.
For further point out that the emphasis of the agricultural cycle is the system of discovery is purely professional experience and farmers to preserve the fertility of the soil to prevent the recurrence of monoculture in the occupied two consecutive years …. But this system has been applied professional in their fifties and sixties, when released in the law.. The goal was to run, requiring farmers planting certain crops meet the needs of citizens and the obligations of the State Grain exports When the state wanted in the seventies – based on estimates of foreign – eliminate the cultivation of cotton and create chaos installation crop Act abolished the agricultural cycle.
 
* Practical experience and practice which is the role of Ovhmtna Alaolmip trade monopoly in agricultural production, the role of the ruling regime in open countryside before it.
She explained to us the need for solidarity among all peasants in Egypt And the imperative of solidarity among the peasants of the north and south against major companies Alaolmip .. This can not become a slogan that the holding of peasants south.
If picked up key link in the Egyptian Agriculture and we have the boldness and diligence and hard cooperation we will be able to build a wall connection in the countryside, which would synchronize with the other walls in other strata of society To stop the neo-liberal policies and the way they spread in our country.
 
                                                                
 
  Basheersakr                 November 2008