Farmers in the Wadi harvesting innovative crops in Aswan

Farmers in the Wadi are harvesting some of the most innovative crops in Aswan such as sesame, mango, cantaloupes, citrus, tomatoes, wheat, and vegetables. And most of them have become self-reliant. The last food aid handout was delivered to Al-Shahama village in Wadi Al-Sa'aida in September 2006. Most of the farmers are now glued to their land and proud of their harvest and their new houses and cattle. WFP collaborated with the USAID agricultural project (Agricultural Exports and Rural Incomes Project - AERI) to set up an association to upgrade the skills of Wadi Al Sa'ida farmers, and improve their links with private exporters, suppliers and food processors. People like in Wadi have found that their risk-taking has paid off not only for themselves, but also for future generations in the once-barren desert hills of Upper Egypt.