Saturday 22 Feb
Alaa Farouk, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, met with a high-level delegation from the global Kraft Heinz company, headed by Patrick Sheridan, the company's vice president, and including Mostafa El-Sayyad, the deputy minister of agriculture. The meeting focused on expanding Kraft Heinz's investments in Egypt.
Farouk listened to the company vision to establish Egypt as a major industrial and export center serving the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Kraft Heinz has invested $50 million over the last two years to expand its factory in the 6th of October industrial area. This expansion, inaugurated in September 2024, will double production capacity and increase exports by 60%.
Kraft Heinz officials expressed confidence in Egypt's
potential to become a tomato cultivation hub. They proposed expanding existing
contracts with an emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, and
securing contracts for tomato crops destined for export to European Union
countries. This initiative aims to increase production lines within Egypt. The
company officials also offered their support to farmers by providing access to
select, climate-resilient seeds.
The Minister of Agriculture affirmed his support for
investors, stating that the Egyptian government welcomes foreign investment in
agriculture and cooperation with the private sector. He highlighted
presidential directives emphasizing the need to focus on value-added areas and
encourage private sector involvement in agricultural manufacturing. This, he
explained, would support the national product and reduce crop waste,
particularly for strategic crops.
Farouk directed ministry leaders to cooperate with Kraft
Heinz and provide full technical support.
At the end of the meeting, the following was agreed upon:contracting
with farmers through the contract farming system, and expanding the use of
varieties that meet manufacturing requirements.
It is worth mentioning that Kraft Heinz has been operating in Egypt since 1991 with an investment volume of more than 7 billion Egyptian pounds.
