June 16, 2020

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has approved Egypt to be included on a list of countries having facilities free of bird flu, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Al-Sayed al-Qusair stated Sunday, Egypt Today reported.

The minister clarified that the organisation's decision is based on the efforts deployed by Egypt to resume poultry exportation, which was suspended amid the outbreak of bird flu in 2006. As such, 14 Egyptian companies will be able to export chicks aged one day, table eggs, breeding eggs and breeding birds.

The files of the 14 facilities have been communicated with eight large international poultry companies.

The facilities free of bird flu are located in the desert zones of Isamiliyah's Sarabium, Beheira's Wadi Al-Natroun, and Menya's Western Cairo-Asyut Road. Those facilities have been accredited after applying to be part of the system, and after meeting the requirements.

The minister pointed out that Egypt had achieved self-sufficiency of poultry and table eggs, and that the sector has many promising investments embodied in mega projects founded in desert lands.

The ministry has been cooperating with breeders in the Nile Valley and Delta to switch from the open production system to the closed production system.

In a similar context, Qusair underlined that export is permitted after the local needs are fulfilled.

Deputy Minister Mostafa al-Sayad said that the accreditation of Egyptian poultry companies as free of bird flu will encourage investments in the sector. The official revealed that the ministry prepared an investment map encompassing nine zones that can house such facilities.

Sayad noted that poultry projects are included in the initiative of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) offering—through banks—soft loans with 5% interest rate. Worth EGP100 billion, the initiative is directed at the manufacturing, agricultural and real estate sectors.