Under the slogan “Yesterday We Sowed, Today We Reap,” a research team from the Economic Studies Division of the Desert Research Center, in cooperation with the Contract Farming Center implemented three field schools in the city of El-Tor, South Sinai, to introduce oilseed sunflower cultivation in Sinai. These three schools are an integrated educational platform aimed at raising farmers’ efficiency and enabling them to apply modern agricultural practices
The first field school focused on training farmers on sunflower harvesting techniques. The second school focused on how to utilize the plant waste generated by the crop. Farmers were taught skills to recycle agricultural waste to benefit from it, while also protecting the environment through safe disposal of this waste. The third school focused on exploring the expansion of crop cultivation during the Nile season by increasing cultivated areas and recruiting new farmers, who were provided with free seeds
These events were attended by Eng. Abdeen Ali, Director of the Agriculture Directorate in El-Tor City, Dr. Khamis Murad, representing the Contract Farming Center, and Dr. Mohamed Wagih, Director General of the Center’s Sinai Research Stations
Dr. Elham Younis, the project’s principal researcher, said that the project aim to encourage farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices, in addition to ensuring a marketing path for the crop through pre-contracting
She added that this initiative represents a step toward expanding the cultivation of oil crops in Sinai to meet local market needs and narrow the gap in edible oil production
