Establishment of a Cooling and Food Processing Unit – Public Comments Invited

August 4, 2025 – Global Affairs Canada must determine whether the proposed establishment of a cooling and food processing unit, located in Idku, Beheira Governorate, Egypt, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Global Affairs Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by September 3, 2025 to:

Environment Specialists 

Global Affairs Canada 

200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau (QC) J8X 4B7

Email:?CommentsIAARegistry-CommentairesRegistreLEI@international.gc.ca

 

The Proposed Project

The project will establish a post-harvest facility dedicated mainly to soft date varieties (Zaghloul, Hayani, Bint?Aisha) on a 1,000?m² plot in Idku, Beheira Governorate.
The facility will consist of:

• Four modular cold rooms with a total storage capacity of 200?metric?tons (50?tons each), primarily for soft dates.
• Processing lines with a 0.5?ton/day capacity to produce date paste, syrup, and molasses.
• Administrative and service buildings, including offices, a small quality-control laboratory, packaging and storage areas, and staff amenities.
• Loading and unloading areas for receiving harvested dates and dispatching processed products.
• Basic utility connections (electricity, water, sewer) to support operations.

The facility will operate as a cold storage and processing center mainly for soft date varieties, while having the flexibility to handle other perishable crops in off-season periods.
Key activities include:

• Receiving, sorting, and grading harvested soft dates.
• Processing dates into paste, syrup, and molasses to create value-added products.
• Storing fresh dates in cold rooms to extend shelf life and reduce post-harvest losses by up to 60%.
• Training staff—particularly women and youth—on hygienic processing, food safety, and quality control.
• Implementing proper waste handling, packaging, and distribution to improve market access and farmer incomes.

Authorities and their responsibilities

Beheira Governorate – Land allocation, site preparation, and utility connections.

Idku City Council – Building permits and operational approvals.

EEAA (Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency) – Review and approval of the environmental compliance plan.

FAO Egypt – Provision of funding for design, construction, equipment procurement, and staff training.

Beheira Directorate of Agriculture – The completed facility will be officially transferred to the Directorate for long-term public-sector operation and oversight.

Global Affairs Canada – Funding of the project if approved.

 

Description of the environment / site characterization

The site is located in Idku, Beheira Governorate, a leading production area for soft date varieties. The plot is close to the International Coastal Road, ensuring easy transport to local and national markets.

The surrounding area is agricultural, with farms producing soft dates and other horticultural crops. Post-harvest losses for soft dates currently exceed 30-40%, mainly because of limited cold storage and processing capacity and the impact of high summer temperatures.

The site has access to public utilities and sewer networks, which will support facility operations. Environmental safeguards will ensure that wastewater, organic residues, and packaging waste are managed responsibly, while a hybrid solar-grid energy system will reduce fossil fuel use.