Gov’t strategy, farmers compliance key to Egypt's agricultural exports growth - Minister
ALBAWABA – Egypt’s agricultural exports hit a record high in 2023, estimated at 4.65 million tons, according to an official statement by the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture, as reported by Sky News Arabia Sunday.
An official at the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture told Sky News Arabia that the increase came after the government enacted several measures to bolster demand from various international markets.
Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture Mohamed el-Quseir said that the year 2023, to date, has seen an increase of 717.896 thousand tons, compared to the same duration in 2022.
Egyptian produce export in the first six months of 2022 amounted to 3.936 million tons, the minister said in the official statement.
Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Attar, head of the Agricultural Quarantine Authority in Egypt, confirmed to Sky News Arabia, that the boost in exports was driven by four main catalysts.
The axes of the government’s strategy, he said, included effective control systems applied in agricultural quarantine for all produce before exportation. In addition to the careful and accurate implementation of export market requirements, Attar confirmed.
Exporting to new markets
"We have also come a long way in opening new markets during the past years,” Attar told Sky News Arabia.
New markets include “most notably New Zealand, Japan and finally China,” he said.
The farmers’ willingness to comply with the requirements of export markets and ministry recommendations played a key role in successfully reaching these new markets.
"The farmers’ role and keenness to implement all of the recommendations and advice of the Ministry of Agriculture cannot be overlooked throughout the year,” the official underlined. “In addition to the farmers' focus on producing high-value crops in accordance with international specifications and standards."
Egypt is not exporting more than 400 agricultural products to 120 countries around the world, Attar said.
Agricultural exports directly impact the national economy and monetary reserves, he highlighted, saying that there is a strategic plan in place to achieve these results.
According to an official statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, the most prominent agricultural exports included the following:
Citrus fruits amounted to 1.9 million tons, a first-ever record.
Fresh potatoes with 876 thousand and 241 tons.
Onions, with a total of 323 thousand and 783 tons.
Grapes at 94 thousand and 660 tons.
Beans are in fifth place, with 73,889 tons
Key is climate change
Abdel-Hamid El-Demerdash, head of the Agricultural Export Council, said climatic change hit a number of Egypt’s rival countries, such as Spain, Morocco and Turkey. This resulted in a shortage in the quantity of products and negatively affected their quality, as reported by Sky News Arabia.
Among other things, this paved the way for Cairo to increase produce exports this year.
Demerdash told Sky News Arabia that “the application of the ‘coding’ system in recent years has contributed significantly to the increase in the volume of agricultural exports.”
Meanwhile, the produce exports season is still not here, he explained.
"The export season, which starts from September 22 and ends on August 23, witnessed an increase over the same period last year in fresh products amounting to one million tons, with a value of up to $600 million," he said forecasting further growth in the coming month.
