The Egyptian onion season is starting with "a totally different ambiance from previous years", according to Abdelkader Habony, an Egyptian exporter of various fresh produce. "We were used to strong demand even before the launch of our export campaign. This year, the Egyptian onions campaign is starting with a low demand," he continues.
The exporter added: "It seems that the global shortage of onions is no longer persistent. Local production is more available in many of our usual markets, such as Africa and the Arab countries. Demand is low, if not non-existent, and we hope it will improve soon, in early March."
According to Habony, the Egyptian onion harvest is abundant in volume this year, with a perceptible increase over last year's, pending official figures. He adds, "Quality and sizes are also very good for the white onions currently sold on the local market, and the same goes for the yellow onions now arriving on the market and available for export. We expect good quality and yield for the red onions arriving later in the season."
Like other massively exported crops from Egypt at competitive prices, onion exporters are seriously affected by the drop in subsidies on exportations, which have been reduced from 8% last year to 2.5% this year. Habony says, "This is a serious obstacle that we now have to live with. But given the current market configuration, I think we can remain competitive in several key markets."
"We'll see how the export campaign unfolds from the second week of March. I remain optimistic about export volumes to key markets such as Europe, East Asia, and the Arab region," Habony concludes.
For more information:
Abdelkader Habony
Habony Group
Tel: +20 1090999229
Email: hapony55@gmail.com