Egypt has begun establishing the world’s largest date plantation, with a total of 2.3 million palm trees to be planted in the Toshka and Al-Owainat regions.

The launch of the project was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir, according to Daily News Egypt, a partner of TV BRICS.

The project is being implemented at the president of Egypt’s instructions.

As Mr Kamel Al-Wazir noted, the development of the date production and processing sector is a priority for diversifying the national economy, increasing export revenues, and creating new job opportunities.

Egypt is already the world leader in date production, accounting for more than 19 per cent of global output.

 It is noted that the ministry of industry is developing the sector through the modernisation of factories and the establishment of new packaging stations.

Currently, over 150 industrial enterprises are involved in date processing and packaging.

Modern cold storage facilities with a capacity of 4,000 tonnes have already been constructed in the Arab Republic, and key production complexes have undergone upgrades.

According to the report, Egypt is developing the entire date industry, not merely expanding plantations.

With the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, a climate map of date palm varieties has been introduced.

Dates have been designated a priority export product under the FAO’s One Country One Priority Product Global Initiative.

(TV BRICS/NAN)