More Egyptian citrus growers report facing the main two challenges of the season in Egypt: the shortage of large sizes, and the difficulty in supplying the Russian market. Growers are under high pressure to adapt to the difficulties of the season, confirms Mr. Abozeid Mohamed, Marketing & Sales Manager of Agroland.
Mr. Abozeid explains: "We are one month into the season and demand might not be at its peak as expected at this stage, but we remain optimistic given the shortage of quantities in other countries with a similar product range. We anticipate stronger demand for Valencia oranges in the second half of our season".
Russia accounts for almost one-third of Egyptian citrus exports, followed by Europe and the Arab Gulf countries. However, only a few transport lines are currently operational between Egypt and Russia, due to the sanctions.
This difficulty will increase when other products enter the market, such as Egyptian potatoes, which are also widely exported to Russia and will be ready to shipment at the end of January. Agroland, which exports citrus and potatoes, is bracing for the next few weeks: "We are trying as much as possible to secure shipments as soon as possible, and are organizing shipments accordingly. Some Russian importers also book bulk vessels to ship goods from Egypt, but this is not very efficient."
The company, which has been in existence for more than 40 years, wants to find other outlets for the coming seasons: "We want to focus on the Japanese market in the near future, and we are also interested in growing in new markets such as Brazil and Africa."
"Our 10,000 ha lands are located in different regions of Egypt, which allows us to choose the optimal land for each product. We also have three packing houses for all citrus varieties and two packing houses for potatoes. Our farms are equipped with the latest machinery for breeding and harvesting and all our farms are certified by Global Gap to ensure the food safety of all types of products we grow," concludes Mr. Abozeid Mohamed.
For more information:|
Abozeid Mohamed
Agroland For Agricultural Manufacturing
Tel: +20 100 516 4891
Email: [email protected]
agroland-egypt.com