The government is planning to cultivate 200k feddans of drought- and salt water-tolerant rice this harvest season as part of its strategy to save water, according to a cabinet statement. This came a week after Abdel Atti revealed Egypt’s USD 50 bn 18-year plan encouraging modern irrigation methods, fewer water-intensive crops and establishing desalination plants. This national strategy is supported by legislative amendments to the Agriculture Act, and aims to clamp down on water-intensive crops to reduce water shortages.

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