Photo of the Week: Pro-poor agriculture in Egypt

Egyptian farmers are improving their livelihoods through an MDG-F-financed programme to give small landholders more of a voice in the food production chain. These farmers in Qena Governate have set up an enterprise to dry tomatoes, a major crop in Upper Egypt, and to sell their products directly to consumers, eliminating middlemen who cut into their small profits. The MDG-F’s SALASEL joint UN programme is supporting six farmers' associations and aims to train 1000 farmers in skills such as agricultural methods and developing small enterprises. A newly-revived processing facility in Beni Sweif Governate has created new jobs and increased the value of agricultural products by 40% in the last two years.