INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT II - LIFE-IWRMII ...

• Dr. Walid, IRG consultant, and Ehab Emara, ICAPP, visited W. Belbeis on March 30. They
met with six farmers and one Agricultural Extension agent. The possibility of contracting
with farmers to grow okra and green beans this summer (May) on an area of 10 feddan was
discussed. ICAPP will provide seeds to farmers. The contract terms were accepted and
implemented by the farmers.
• For raising awareness on cultivation of high value, low water consuming crops, Dr. Wadie
Fahim attended three MWRI Undersecretary/General Directors monthly meetings in
Mansoura, Dakahlia (March 14), Zagazig, Sharkia (March 15) and Benha, Qualubia (March
17). Senior Agricultural staff also attended the meetings. The concept of high value crops
and water conservation technologies was presented at the meetings.
• The project arranged for six farmers from three BCWUAs in W. Belbeis IWMD to receive
training offered by MACRO Market on high value crops (HVCs).
• Dr. Walid, and Dr. Abd El Wahab conducted a training workshop on growing and marketing
sesame to the farmers of West Belbies at their request. There were 40 attendees (18
farmers, 13 MALR/Ag. Extension/ Ag. Cooperatives and nine MALR/IWMD).
• The training workshops for MWRI/MALR staff on capacity building for HVCs and water
conservation practices and technologies (WCT) were completed in the selected six
directorates: Sharkia, Qaluobia, East Dakahlia, South Dakahlia, Damietta, and El Salam.
Total number of staff attended from both Ministries was 207 (116 participants from MWRI
and 91 from MALR). Undersecretaries of Qualubia, East Dakahlia, Damietta Central
Directorates, and General Directors of the six Directorates (MWRI) attended the training.
In one of the events in East Dakahlia, Eng. Ibrahim El Gamasy, Undersecretary (US)
Dakahlia, attended and discussed his personal experience and benefits of using the improved
(drip) irrigation system He stated that productivity increased by 40 percent and saving on
fertilizer use was more than 35 percent.
• Workshops for BCWUAs for dissemination of information on HVCs and WCTs were
completed in Sharkia, Qaluobia, Damietta, El Salam, East Dakahlia, and South Dakahlia.
Total number of participants was 635 farmers representing 308 BCWUAs. MALR
collaborated and supported the activity by participation of Dr. El Garhy, Head, Ag.
Extension Sector (MALR); Dr. Aliya Goda, Undersecretary, Central Directorate of Ag.
Extension (MALR); Eng. Hamdy Younis, Undersecretary, Deputy, Chairperson of Ag.
Extension Sector (MALR); Eng. Mohsen Abdo, Undersecretary, Central Directorate of Ag.
Services; and Dr. Abu El Kasem M. Zahra, Deputy, Chairperson of Ag. Extension Sector.
• Eng. Wafaa, COTR and Eng. Fouad Elleithy, Program Office, USAID, attended the training
sessions for BCWUAs, MWRI/WATs and MALR/Ag Extension staffs of Port Saied and
Materia IWMDs, El Salam Directorate on 28 September. Ms. Naglaa M. Hassan, Director of
Technical Support of the MUCIA Project attended as an observer.
• A mini-library containing MALR publications on HVCs and WCTs was distributed to
BCWUAs at the dissemination of information and orientation workshops.
• A newsletter and marketing material on HVCs was produced and distributed to BCWUAs,
IWMDs, Ag. Extension Offices, and IWM Directorates in East Delta.
• For strengthening the collaboration between MWRI and MALR, Dr. Wadie had a meeting
on May 16 with Dr. Abd El Ghany El Gendy, Coordinator, MALR, to discuss the possibility
of having a demo site for different types of irrigation improved systems. Dr. El Gendy
requested to visit the site before final decision. Based on that meeting, Dr. M. Abd El
Motaleb, Head of the Planning Sector, MWRI; Dr. El Gendy, MALR Coordinator; Dr.
Behery and Dr. Wadie visited West Belbies IWMD and investigated a possible location for
ANNUAL REPORT YEAR 3 (JANUARY – DECEMBER 2011) 11