Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation have signed a cooperation protocol on developing innovative irrigation practices to enhance water resource management and usage.
The protocol was signed via video conference by Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and ElSayed ElKosayer, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.
It will see the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology provide the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation with the technological infrastructure it needs to improve agricultural services and reduce water wastage.
The protocol will extend over two years, and aims to put in place the information and communication technology (ICT) applications as a major driver in developing electronic agricultural services. It also looks to remove administrative obstacles and challenges, whilst providing oversight on the administrative performance in the service.
Talaat noted that the protocol comes as part of his ministry’s role in enabling digital transformation across the country. It will help Egypt’s various sectors adopt advanced technologies and adapt them to develop the government’s work performance and serve development areas.
The protocol also aims to activate ICT services as part of data management and analysis systems, as well as remote control techniques, to provide more advanced services to those in the agricultural sector. This comes in addition to using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to develop work systems and build the capacities of agricultural workers in these technologies.
Talaat said the protocol will help establish an electronic portal for the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation’s data, automate the ministry’s services. It will also activate national initiatives developing and maintaining food security, and confront the impacts of climate change.
The partnership includes work on making agricultural irrigation systems more efficient, by analysing data using AI techniques. This will result in a more accurate periodic update of information on Egypt’s agricultural sector and its water needs. At the same time, the more accurate data will aid in predicting seasonal water demands, and increasing the effectiveness of planning. A mobile phone app is expected in the near future that will provide automated services.
The AI-gathered technologies will be used to develop a strategy for agricultural data management, using capacity-building programmes which will lead onto the electronic management of work teams to increase their efficiency.
El Kosayer said that the protocol provides the assistance needed to implement digital transformation in Egypt’s agricultural sector. It will also see agricultural services automated, whilst supporting his ministry’s plan to build a digital work system to provide improved services to farmers.
The minister added that this protocol will also help in updating the ministry’s electronic portal, whilst providing all the information the farmers need. He also noted that AI applications are one of the important tools to achieve improved work governance, particularly as the ministry is set to move to the New Administrative Capital (NAC).