Informal Interview: January 25th, 2007 Araby from Dakhla Samir from Asyut Personal history and land characteristics from Araby, general comments on community and agriculture by both. • Araby’s father bought land, 6 feddans, in Bir Wahid 8 year’s ago for 6,000 EGP/feddan. Bought land from someone else who had received land from the government. • He gets Uriya fertizler from Agricultural Bank, 5 bags for each feddan, 36 EGP/feddan. The Bank will provide only a certain amount per feddan, meaning the Bank most likely pre-orders for the total number of feddans in Abu Minqar. • There is ig-gamya it-tanmaya, which has engineers. Mohamed Sadiq, from Kafeya, is a leader. • Ig-gamya is responsible for water distribution, solving problems – neighbors can complain and get money from a neighbor who is stealing water. But, they added, despite having the role of conflict mediation, there are no real conflicts to mediate. Big conflicts would go to the police. • They have maps and schedules. • They don’t do anything about seeds or fertilizers. • The irrigation engineers from the Ministry of Irrigation are part of the ig-gamya, so the government is involved. • Office of Iz-Zaara, responsible for seeds, etc. which is a government office • 36 private investors, 48 dakhla original settlers, settler’s pay 200-240 EGP to the government but don’t know which office. • Villagers pay the government to cleans the canals • In the summer, they don’t cultivate all 6 feddans, maybe only 2 and use all the water or give some to neighbor in exchange for water next time • A house, when buying new land, is not part of the deal. Can negotiate or buy land on own. • 1 hr/1 feddan, 3 feddans/3 hours of water • Mohamed Said and Hassan Mohamed own most land in Bir Wahid…almost 70 feddans according to Araby and Samir • Original Dakhla settlers have 6 feddans, private investors vary in feddanage. • An elder is in charge of taking the schedule; Monsour, Abu Mahdi, or Adel’s father. • Abu M is the Naggar who comes • They say there is less rice because decrease. This is because of well water decrease and land increase. *** • Can grow inside or outside il xarag il zamam in summer. • Also they said that original settlers generally don’t sell land piecemeal, either leave or keep 6 feddans.
