Country Reports- Middle East-North Africa

Arab Republic of Egypt

Agricultural Cooperation Program

Israel is actively cooperating with Egypt's Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation on Egypt's national program of land reclamation (the "Mubarak project") aimed at resettling and training unemployed university graduates on desert lands along the Nile delta. Cooperation has centered on on-site demonstration activities, including professional training programs and the establishment of an irrigation demonstration plot at the Maryut International Training Center in Nubariya, Egypt and short- and long-term consultancies by Israeli experts. To date, over 5,000 Egyptians have been trained both in Israel and in Egypt in the context of this project. (More...)

Future plans include the establishment of 20 demonstration farm plots which, together with on-farm extension services, credit facilities, professional training and guided post-harvest activities, will enhance family-farm development in such fields as vegetable cultivation and sheep farming. In addition, MASHAV hosted in December 2001 a delegation led by the Director of the Egyptian National Agricultural Library with the purpose of initiating a program of library cooperation. Israel and Egypt also engage in joint R & D projects in cooperation with various research facilities and institutions.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

In the year 2001, MASHAV allocated more funds to project-related activities in Jordan than in any other country. These projects included: Israel built and fully equipped a state-of-theart Intensive Care Unit in one of Amman's main hospitals, serving the poorest population of the capital. The project included full training of all ICU staff in a series of on-site training courses.

MASHAV operates a joint Israeli-Jordanian farm in the Karak region for intensive sheep's milk production and processing, introducing the advanced "Awassi" sheep to the country, which provide approximately four times the milk yields of indigenous sheep. The project includes over 400 sheep, a milking parlor and state-of-theart mini-dairy for milk product manufacture and includes training activities and short-term consultancies.

MASHAV has recently launched a beekeeping demonstration project in Irbid.

MASHAV sponsored numerous cooperative projects in pest control and environmental issues in areas close to the Israeli-Jordanian border.

Israel contributed to an ongoing program of cross border cooperation, training and transfer of agricultural technology between Yotvata Kibbutz and farmers in the regions of Rahma and Umm-Mutlak.

Mauritania

Cancer Treatment Center

In addition to ongoing training activities, MASHAV launched a major project in Mauritania in the year 2000 for the building of a state-ofthe- art cancer center. The project will include extensive training, as well as the donation of the facility and of all necessary technology.

Training Seminar for Palestinian Quality and Export Control Officials

MASHAV, in cooperation with the Peres Center for Peace, held a seminar on Export Quality Control for Strawberries for Palestinian agriculture officials from Gaza. The professional seminar's goal was to train Palestinian officials to do the quality controls necessary for export of strawberries to the EU and elsewhere. The seminar included specific training on EUROGAP - EU standards. This seminar addressed a fundamental need of the Palestinian agriculture sector. Previously, due to the lack of trained Palestinian officials, the Israeli agricultural export company Agrexco has been performing this control function. Expertise learned in the seminar has enabled the Palestinian Authority to assume this function independently.

Regional Cooperation

MASHAV participates in a number of regional cooperation programs, including the three year Regional Agricultural Program (RAP) initiated by Denmark in 1999, including Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The RAP, based on the principle of partnership between all parties, with special emphasis on gender equality, focuses on applied research, professional training and demonstration farms. Cooperation takes place in five areas of activity: small ruminants, low-cost fodder, dryland agriculture, use of saline water and post-harvest technology and marketing. There are expert meetings, study tours and professional visits, and training courses in all 5 areas of cooperation.

MASHAV also cooperates with the Middle Eastern Hearing Loss Association (MEHA), whose aim is to introduce mandatory checks and rehabilitation facilities for hearing loss in infants in Jordan, the Palestinian Authority (a genetically prevalent problem in the region).

necessary for export of strawberries to the EU and elsewhere. The seminar included specific training on EUROGAP - EU standards. This seminar addressed a fundamental need of the Palestinian agriculture sector. Previously, due to the lack of trained Palestinian officials, the Israeli agricultural export company Agrexco has been performing this control function. Expertise learned in the seminar has enabled the Palestinian Authority to assume this function independently.