Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Egyptian agritech company unveils soilless solution to water shortage
An agritech company in Egypt has introduced a soilless solution to the water shortage that has affected farmers across the country.
The company, Plug ‘n Grow, said it was offering a wide range of hydroponics solutions to growers.
According to the agriculture ministry in Egypt, water scarcity is among the issues plaguing the country’s farmlands.
Another concern is the shrinking of arable land, which is forcing many smaller farms to shut down.
The UN said in a statement that Egypt was expected to be categorised as waterscarce by 2025 due to climate change and a recently built dam in Ethiopia that had drastically dropped the fresh water supply from the Nile.
The river is the main source of fresh water to Egypt.
Urbanisation is another reason for the reduction of arable land as Egypt is mostly made up of desert lands, said the UN. To provide a solution to “feed the country”, Plug ‘n Grow introduced its soilless solutions.
According to the company, it uses sand or foam to grow plants, which reduces the amount of water that the plants need.
The company said that the company’s solutions would also save farmers money in terms of fertiliser costs, as they did not need a controlled greenhouse setting. Nouran El Said, the head of Plug ‘n Grow, said hydroponics could save around 90% of water used in traditional farming because it did not allow for the wastage of water. He said the company was only a few years old and was one of several that had been formed in Egypt to assist in the crisis.
El Said added that hydroponics also ensured faster growth and a larger output of vegetables.