More and Better Food: An Egyptian Demonstration Project (1986)

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CHAPTER II RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES IN FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND NUTRITION Egypt's agricultural problem-solving capabilities rest with the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) in the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the universities with faculties of agriculture, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), the National Research Centre (NRC), the Water Research Centre, the Ministry of Irrigation, and the Desert Research Institute. Human nutrition research is conducted by the Nutrition Insti- tute of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the NRC. Support for agricultural research and technology for 1983/1984 came from the Government of Egypt for the Agricultural and Water Research Centres (LE 40,470,000); external agency funds for the NRC (LE 6,211,000); United States PL-480 funds ($2,985,000 for the life of 15 pro- jects); and other donors ($483,075 for the life of 26 projects). Support for nutrition research came as a part of funds allocated by multiple resources for health development in Egypt. The Government of Egypt, the United States, other bilateral and multilateral donors, and private voluntary organizations have supported recent ongoing projects that broadly address health-related issues. National goals for agriculture are determined by the ministries of Planning, Agriculture, and Irrigation, and by the ASRT. Health and nutrition goals are determined by the ministries of Health and Planning, and by the ASRT. Science and technology priorities include strengthen- ing planning capabilities, improving technology delivery services, improving the management of resources (ground- water, farm mechanization, land use, and energy) and increasing commodity production (food grains, winter vegetables, specialty fruits, and livestock). Priorities are also given to the coordination and integration of health research with the environmenta1, food, agricul- tura1, nutrition, and socioeconomic sciences. - 33 -

- 34 - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES The predominant responsibility for agricultural research and extension in Egypt rests with the Agricul- tural Research Center (ARC) in the MOA. In addition, research of direct or indirect interest to agriculture is conducted within the Ministry of Irrigation, the ASRT, and the universities. The Agricultural Research Centre The ARC conducts its work through 13 research institutes located in Cairo. They are: o Agricultural Economics o Plant Pathology o Agricultural o Plant Protection Mechanization o Serums and Vaccines o Animal Health o Soils and Water o Animal Production o Cotton o Animal Reproduction o Field Crops o Horticulture o Sugar The staffs of these institutes include nearly 400 Ph.D.s, more than 1,100 M.Sc.s, and nearly 1,300 B.Sc. graduates in 1983. Thirty-one commodity-oriented research stations located in various ecological and agricultural zones pro- vide research facilities. The regional areas, each with three to seven stations, are Alexandria and the North Coast, the New Lands, the North Delta, the Middle Delta, the South and East Deltas, Middle Egypt, and Upper Egypt. Total staffing of these stations includes 125 Ph.D.s, 361 M.Sc.s, and 238 B.Sc.s. Staff at these stations are members of the various research institutes in Cairo, and Cairo-based staff conduct most of their field research at these stations. One of the stations in each of the seven regions is designated as the regional station cen- ter and has a regional director and administrative staff. A strong connection has been maintained between the research stations and the institutes. The stations are usually associated with a production farm, which provides land for research. The agricultural production activity has been trans- ferred from the General Authority for Agricultural Pro- duction to the Division of Experiment Stations and Pro- duction in the ARC. There are about 27,000 feddans in farms for use in the production of various types of seeds, nursery fruit trees, and some livestock. The seed

- 35 - operations are geared to handle breeders' seed, founda- tion seed, and some certified seed. Most of the certi- fied seed is produced on growers' farms. That seed is owned by the farmer and an incentive price is paid for its production. Agricultural extension, which, for purposes of the current study, can be considered a component of research and technology, is administered by a deputy director of the ARC, thus strengthening the association between research and extension. That association has been fur- ther fortified by a directive that requires research staff of the ARC to devote part of their time to exten- sion activities. Field personnel are administratively under local government and perform regulatory and service functions as well as extension education. University Research in Food and Agriculture Thirteen universities in Egypt have faculties of agriculture: Ain Shams, Alexandria, Assuit, Al Azhar, Beni-Suef, Cairo, El-Fayum, Kafr El-Sheikh (Tanta), Mansoura, Minia, Menufia (Shebin El-Kora), Suez Canal, and Zagazig. These universities conduct agricultural research, primarily through their graduate students. Some staff members who are teaching assistants have joint appoint- ments with the ARC and may be pursuing graduate studies using ARC facilities. The ARC does not support research by faculty, although some professors are able to obtain funding through foreign donor agencies—USAID and the PL-480 program in the United States, among others. Through USAID support, research projects are funded in Egyptian universities, some involving linkages with U.S. universities. The funded projects include a wide variety of objectives, such as control of plant diseases, production of specific crops (onions, garlic, bananas, forages, figs), milk and meat production, mechanization, and irrigation. Some of the work may be published, add- ing to the development and dissemination of scientific knowledge; however, there is no organized system for the delivery of university-developed information to users. Academy of Scientific Research and Technology The ASRT, in addition to other activities, supports research directed toward agricultural problems through its Council on Food and Agriculture. The Council also has developed a five-year plan for agriculture. The

- 36 - agriculture program is a major priority of the ASRT. However, the Council has no research staff and thus achieves its objectives through financial support of other organizations. Of the eight somewhat autonomous research organizations under the ASRT, the NRC and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries conduct research on food, agriculture, and nutrition. The National Research Centre The NRC conducts basic and applied research in natural sciences. It is organized into five programs, one of which is food and agriculture. These programs are funded by several sources. Ten laboratories are currently engaged in food, agriculture, and nutrition research. More than 600 employees, 240 of whom have Ph.D.s, work in these laboratories. Figure 8 is an illustration of these NRC laboratories, their research interest, and their manpower. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries The Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries has four main branches: the Mediterranean Sea Branch at Alex- andria, with three stations; the Red Sea Branch at Al-Ghardaga, with three stations; the Inland-Water Fisheries and Fish Culture Branch in Cairo, with four stations; and the Shore Protection Research Branch at Alexandria, with two stations. The institute's 16 departments cover all basic and applied research. The institute employs 490 persons, of which 188 are research staff. Ministry of Irrigation The Water Research Centre, the research agency of the Ministry of Irrigation, is organized into 11 research institutes; it also has a project for the Water Master Plan and departments for technical training and for research services. The Water Master Plan studies models for upper Nile flow routing, Nasser Lake reservoir oper- ation, drainage, downstream water distribution, and changes in the Equatorial Lakes basin down to the Lake Albert outlet. The Drainage Research Institute of the Water Research Centre studies drainage design for agricultural lands, including re-use of drainage water, water management, and

- 37 - URAL PESTS a S |^ i § S o f >. o T ON •I ° S i 1 t I » i -1 < i- S 1 .8 1 2 g £ § U t— CD CO CD •g •§ fs .i iii ill oe o o s s <DZS-a--ula-'a • 1| o z cc = ° S >. < < 0- cc cc z S .° .3 £ t 1- o J< CL ct 3 „ ™ „ -g c S e §• g en CM w Ef w eo o 2 ° CO CM g S a. a- :n o co cc cc co e ,. 1 = LU LU ^ .« | s i 1 •£ U cc s 9 S E S e £ «! .2 S 2 ~ z irt CM u c -> Q 1- » ^ co a. o Z _ "E ° 0 z < o o — — — — c o S 60 < S 01 co c/S co co a. at £ • Is a S 5 CC DC u z |i C LU LU 1 0 e J2 s s Is 1 0= 0 •§ o •£ .H en - >. .£ c? = b fill l § CC u u si < LU g g ^" «? z o 1- II I lilK! " si u S=ccl°S « u < —i a •g 0 .0 0 g ° _ <U < 0 f ^ Illlfi M Z LU gg < oc S S CL IX ct Ol UJ < T3 LU ^.JJ 2.5 a g I £ S s •£ II g Jg UJ UJ _| l~ CO sS J .S « 5 = s — s .5 .? ^ ~ >. ." S „ <^° s < ° 2 z < z .g € .i « s I 1 0 CM "> 1-C < s < h. I- C Cl_ a] c C 1- OC S <£ U <f g S < > < < a a .1 § i t S Z<2 cc cc — i cc p i ilil I !3 oc el tzc!l .S en »— CM <• Z 0 3 ^2^1^.0 cc < ot z £ s i = § » ; g g c£ < £ i i •- t ^ cc cc 2 a el ISal •g § E £ z •S .5 "S .? .=" si £ o o s s f- •» II « 0 Z < " s ° LL. < a CO 1 1 « oc cc _J o ~ S = M a 1 >. ,£>.! 5 1 t f 48 B I ^ z o en -* i i | s u. S < .1 g g s •«: x •g.5|.g|||f g SS S^,351o S O) O> 1- § = 3 = - tccc. co S 3 Z ^ j= •.= .y .o .a u u BL C O » g g < 0 LL 5 CM M CC CC

- 38 - water logging and salinity control. The Groundwater Research Institute gathers hydrologic data and studies the development and management of groundwater, the use and application of groundwater, and the protection of groundwater from contamination. The Water Research Centre is geared toward resolving problems in the storage and delivery of water for agricultura1, industria1, and domestic use. The Desert Research Institute The Desert Research Institute, affiliated with the Ministry of Land Reclamation, studies desert and lands development. The institute is organized into divisions of water resources, soil resources, plant production, and animal production. It manages a 110-feddan experimental station at Marriut in the Mediterranean littoral zone; there, sheep production, range management, horticulture, reclamation of saline soils, irrigation techniques, and the use of saline water for crop production are studied. Another field station is under development in the Sinai. The institute has a staff of approximately 100 resear- chers and assistants, half of whom have Ph.D.s. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT MANPOWER This section provides an analytical documentation of the manpower that conducts research in agriculture, food, and nutrition. It considers three major elements: field of specialization, institutional affiliation, and time devoted to research. Two levels of personnel are con- sidered: research staff, which includes all Ph.D.s; and assistant researchers, which include M.Sc. and B.Sc. degree holders who assist in research activities. Personnel in agriculture, food, and nutrition work in 10 areas of specialization: o Society and Economics, which includes agricul- tural economics, agriculture extension, and rural society. o Botany, which includes plant physiology, plant genetics, plant diseases, and plant ecology. o Soil Sciences, which includes soil biology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, and plant nutrition. o Crops, which includes plant production and cotton technology. o Horticulture, which includes fruits and vege- tables, and medicinal plants.

- 39 - o Agricultural Peat and Plant Protection, which includes economic insects, pesticides, and biochemistry. o Farm Mechanization and Engineering. o Animal Production, which includes poultry pro- duction and animal diseases and protection. o Food Industries and Dairy Production. o Human Nutrition, which includes child health. Table 17 shows manpower distribution among the 10 specialties. In 1981, total Egyptian manpower involved in research in the areas of agriculture, food, and nutrition was 6,815. Supporting technical staff totaled 7,501. Agriculture, food, and nutrition researchers con- stitute about 30 percent of all the scientific manpower in Egypt. Ratio of researcher: research assistant: technical assistants is 1:1.36:2.26. TABLE 17 Manpower Distribution According to Specialty (1981) Specialty Researchers Research Assistants NO. % NO. % Animal production 752 22.7 738 16.4 Pests and plant protection 432 13.0 663 14.7 Soil 427 12.9 721 16.0 Botany 385 11.6 472 10.5 Crops 380 11.5 564 12.5 Fiber crops 354 10.7 516 11.5 Food industry 306 9.2 311 6.9 Society and economics 198 6.0 385 8.5 Farm mechanization 33 1.0 43 0.9 Human nutrition 45 1.4 100 2.2 TOTAL 3,312 4,503 SOURCE: "Human and Material Resources in Agricultural Scientific Research," MOA, Cairo, Egypt, November 1983. Table 18 shows manpower distribution according to sector. More than 50 percent of the researchers are found in the faculties of agriculture. The ARC occupies second place, with 21.5 percent of all researchers. Faculties of veterinary medicine have 11.4 percent, and the ASRT has 7.5 percent, most of whom are in the NRC. Table 19 provides estimates of time allocated for research by researchers at the faculties of agriculture,

- 40 - the ARC, and the NRC. In Egypt, scientists distribute their time among three major functions: research, teach- ing, and administration. Time devoted to research ranges from 40 percent for university staff, where teaching occupies a good deal of their time, to 80 percent for the staff of the ARC, who also have administrative responsi- bility, and to more than 87 percent for the NRC staff. TABLE 18 Manpower Distribution According to Sector (1981) Sector Researcher NO. % TOTAL 3,312 Research Assistant NO. % Faculties of Agriculture 1,838 55.5 1,731 38.4 Faculties of Veterinary 377 11.4 312 6.9 Agric. Research Centre 712 21.5 1,962 43.6 Egyptian Academy (ASRT) 250 7.5 260 5.8 Others 135 4.1 238 5.3 4,503 SOURCE: "Human and Material Resources in Agricultural Scientific Research," MOA, Cairo, Egypt, November 1983. TABLE 19 Percentage of Time Devoted to Research (1981) Academy of Faculties Agricultural Scientific of Research Research and Agriculture Centre Technology Society and environment 41.6 80.8 90.0 Botany 43.3 96.7 88.1 Crops 39.6 82.0 90.0 Pests and plant protection 44.7 79.0 84.0 Horticulture 47.1 84.3 90.0 Food industries 43.0 70.7 84.9 Animal production 40.2 66.5 83.2 SOURCE: "Human and Material Resources in Agricultural Scientific Research," MOA, Cairo, Egypt, November 1983.