Egypt, Fruit Logistica 2016 partner country, set for export growth

The Egyptian export sector will be out in force at Fruit Logistica 2016 with 89 exporters exhibiting, up from 76 this year. Egypt is the partner country for the event, a […]
Tue 01/12/2015
the future looks bright for Egypt’s agricultural exports. In the last decade, it has increased the volume of this trade by 226% and now exports to 145 countries. New investments in the sector and its commitment to the establishment of international specifications in packaging will support further growth.

The Egyptian export sector will be out in force at Fruit Logistica 2016 with 89 exporters exhibiting, up from 76 this year.

Egypt is the partner country for the event, a leading international trade fair for fresh produce marketing, which takes place February 3-5 in Berlin. The country’s pavilion in hall 2.1 will host the official Fruit Logistica opening on February 3.

According to a Fruit Logistica press release, the future looks bright for Egypt’s agricultural exports. In the last decade, it has increased the volume of this trade by 226% and now exports to 145 countries. New investments in the sector and its commitment to the establishment of international specifications in packaging will support further growth.

In 2014/2015 the country exported over $2 billion worth of agricultural products, excluding rice.

“The farming industry and its related sectors are vital to the Egyptian economy, with cultivated areas reaching around 9 million acres. They employ 32% of the country’s workforce and account for 14.7% of GDP,” the release says.

New African free trade area

It also says that an important step for Egypt was the agreement of 26 African countries in June this year to create a free trade area. The new free trade agreement Tripartite is integrating the existing agreements COMESA, EAC and SADC. In 2017, when Tripartite is supposed to become effective, it will facilitate the movement of goods between member states.

The safety and quality of food products and water supplies are of great concern to Egypt’s health authorities. They ensure safe, high-quality fresh produce while complying with numerous global standards and international certification bodies and institutions. They carefully monitor farms and exporters to ensure the quality of exported products, it says.

Egypt’s agricultural exports

According to a report by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Egypt was the world’s largest exporter of oranges in 2014/2015, but it also exports a wide variety of other kinds of fruit, and vegetables.

Top farm exports in 2014/2015

  • oranges 1.22 million tons
  • potatoes 650,000 tons
  • onions 492,000 tons
  • dry beans 182,000 tons
  • grapes 111,000 tons
  • tomatoes 109,000 tons
  • pomegranates 55,000 tons
  • green beans 44,000 tons
  • mandarins 36,000 tons
  • strawberries 34,000 tons
  • lemons 33,000 tons
  • peanuts 26,000 tons

Egypt’s agricultural export partners

  • Exports to 145 countries
  • In 2014/2015, 727 Egyptian companies exported 743,000 tons to the EU. During the same period overall exports reached 3.53 million tons.
  • 21% of Egypt’s farming products are exported to the EU where the main markets are the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Romania, Lithuania, Spain and France.

Egypt’s main non-EU trading partners for its produce include:

  • Saudi Arabia (18% of Egypt’s overall output),
  • Russia (18%)
  • The UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and India.

Logistics and transport

  • Egypt’s unique geographic location in the Middle East combined with an expanding infrastructure base enhances the country’s position as a key global logistics hub for companies looking to do business in, or trade with, Europe, Asia and Africa.
  • About 90% of Egypt’s foreign trade is shipped through ports.
  • The expansion of the Suez Canal is expected to double its capacity to 97 ships a day.