Egyptian growers aim to be as efficient with water as they can be. Dutch partners come along side to support them with data-driven tools and knowledge that may improve irrigation strategies and support companies to include water in their long-term business strategies. Last week, through a hybrid workshop, the Dutch embassy in Egypt connected Dutch experts with Egyptian growers to exchange ideas, share knowledge and together look for new business opportunities.
During the workshop a consortium of Wageningen UR and Water Footprint Network presented their Dutch-funded comprehensive study [VT1] on water footprint analysis. The study focusses on a number or relevant crops in the international trade between Egypt and The Netherlands: potato, onion, tomato, leaf lettuce, and strawberry. The study's results revealed that average unit water footprints across crops are comparable, with strawberry being the most water-intensive crop and tomato the least. The researchers identified various water footprint reduction measures, including improved irrigation systems, soil covers, and fertilization management, among others.
Two Dutch companies with expertise in data-driven water strategies, e-Leaf and 52 Impact, presented their tools. Both companies use satellite images for agriculture. The first for use on a daily base, while the latter supports long term strategy development for crop choice and decisions on investments. In a lively discussion growers expressed their eagerness to engage with the companies to test the tools on their farms and improve in aspects as integration with local (in-situ) data from sensors (soil)analysis as well as adding contextual knowledge on the vast land reclamation in Egypt.
Read more at agroberichtenbuitenland.nl