The Rural Development Program

Introduction

The Rural Development Program is dedicated to supporting Egyptian farmers and their families.

The program seeks to help improve the productivity and health of targeted rural communities by providing new agricultural models and farming techniques, veterinary services, and funding for various farming projects.

The program also makes a conscious effort to improve the lives of women in rural communities, offering them opportunities to build their professional capacities and assist them in finding new marketing venues.

The primary objective of the Rural Development Program is to help improve the overall health and productivity of targeted rural communities, enabling all community members to acquire a higher standard of living.

Key Achievements in 2021-2022

Income generating channels are created.

1,090 Farmers (572 are new), including 40 women increased their productivity of agricultural crops by at least 14.7%.
2,114 Farmers (1,240 are new) are able to maintain their livestock (16,909 cattle)
101 women are now able to run their rural projects
831 Farmers (500 are new) adopted eco-friendly techniques (171 compost, 709 biological pest control and 118 additional value models).

Local cadres’ capacities to lead developmental interventions are improved

There are now 81 newly trained local cadres

The rural program is keen on networking with different sectors as bellow:

Seed production centers provided 500 farmers with wheat seeds at low prices, up to 52% off.
The Ministry of Agriculture bought bio-fertilizer EM1 for 100 farmers to be used in eco-friendly agriculture for the Melk El-Said community.
Private sectors such as Agro Egypt Company exchanged knowledge and experience of the importance of water consumption, field irrigation methods and irrigation system components.

Success Story: Al Zaar Village

Veterinary Health

The Bishopric launched the Rural Development Program to spread awareness about the two most common veterinary diseases in Egypt, Foot and Mouth Disease and Rift Valley Disease. The program educates farmers on the importance of vaccination, protection, and the utilization of their animals. For over a year, the farmers in Al Zaar village vaccinated their animals every four months, which resulted in a decrease in animal deaths, contrary to neighboring villages where there is a lack of veterinary health awareness.

Learn more about Al Zaar Village

“Getting rid of the Fall Armyworm”

Maize is one of the most practical crops in Egypt. During a field visit from a BLESS staff member to Al Zaar village, they found that the crops were infected by an infestation called Fall Armyworm during peak maize growth season.

The BLESS staff member made field visits in order to

count and identify the infected lands in the villages

of El-Zaar and Bani Khaled. Accordingly, the Rural

development program guided the farmers to use

different kind of pesticides in order to get rid of the

infestation. Consequently, the land productivity was preserved.

Learn more about rural development in al zaar village