The Rice Mechanization Pilot Project being carried out jointly by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and the Japan International Cooperation Agency at Meet El Dyba in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate aims at developing a mechanized rice cultivation system for the small farmers in the Nile Delta region. This system should be suitable for the agricultural land conditions peculiar to the region and should enable to achieve increased land and labor productivity. The presentation will focus on the following aspects:
(1) After carrying out a number of experiments by adopting the recommended cultivation practices in the early, middle and late growth periods, the yield increased appreciably.
(2) Efficient systems of mechanized plowing, puddling, transplanting, harvesting and grain drying, suitable for the conditions of the Nile Delta region, have been developed, and the advantages of mechanization have been revealed, as evidenced by both the yield increase and cost reduction.