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As part of efforts to strengthen food security and reduce the oil import gap, the Agriculture Directorate in Ismailia Governorate continues to expand the cultivation of strategic crops, led by sunflower.
The governorate is benefiting from fertile soil and a suitable climate, making it an ideal environment for producing this important crop.
This approach aligns with the policy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation under Minister Alaa Farouk and the directives of Major General Pilot Akram Mohamed Galal, Governor of Ismailia.
Dr. Mohamed Shata, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in Ismailia, said the total area planted with sunflower has so far reached 1,271 feddans, including 945 feddans in West Qantara and 250 feddans east of the canal.
He noted that these areas represent a promising starting point for wider expansion in coming seasons.
Shata explained that sunflower is an important economic crop because it is used to produce healthy vegetable oils, for which demand is increasing, especially amid heavy reliance on imports.
The crop also has a short growing cycle, can tolerate difficult climatic conditions, provides good economic returns for farmers, and its residues can be used as livestock feed, strengthening integration between crop and animal production.
He added that the ministry provides the necessary technical and extension support to farmers by supplying certified seeds and safe pesticides and by encouraging contract farming. This helps ensure fair and attractive marketing and encourages more farmers to cultivate this promising crop.
Engineer Mahmoud Abdel Qader, director-general of pest control at the Agriculture Directorate, said sunflower is a sensitive oilseed crop and may be exposed to fungal diseases such as root rot, wilt, and charcoal rot, as well as insect pests such as cutworms, mole crickets, aphids, and fall armyworm.
He noted that these problems often result from over-irrigation and excessive fertilization, use of untreated seeds, and lack of commitment to crop rotation.
He said the department regularly monitors field conditions through periodic inspection campaigns, provides approved pesticides, and applies an integrated pest management approach that includes regular inspection, weed removal, regulated irrigation and fertilization, and spraying only when necessary.
In its closing statement, the Agriculture Directorate called on all farmers to contact extension and pest-control engineers immediately if they observe any symptoms of infestation, to ensure rapid intervention and protect production quality and economic returns.
Source: Akhbar El Yom