The demand for Egyptian onions is not easing, and Egyptian growers are actively working to increase their volumes after a weak production early in the season. According to Amr Kadah, export manager of HB Group, "Soon, there will be enough onion volumes for everyone."
Amr explains, "This year we are witnessing an increase in demand due to the global shortage, which opens new markets in Asia and South America for Egyptian onions. Red onions are highly requested in the Arab Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while the rest of the world is requesting yellow onions. This increase in demand is up to 20% more than the 570 thousand tons exported by Egypt last year."
To meet this new demand, 200 thousand acres of onions are being cultivated this season, assures Amr. He adds, "On average, the production is around 3 million tons, which is more than enough for domestic consumption, food processing industries, and export. We usually have a 1 million tons surplus after satisfying domestic consumption, and this will be more than enough to cover the needs of countries that lack onions this year."
As for quality, Amr explains, "The quality is overall very good and meets export standards, although the current season is characterized by smaller sizes than last year. That said, quality depends a lot on the growers and their operations. At HB Group, we carefully select the cropland, which this season is in the Qalyubia region, to ensure it is free of fungal diseases such as pink root rot and white rot, as well as weeds. Following the harvest, our onions are completely dried, transported, and stored in shaded, well-ventilated locations until the marketing process is carried out."
On the demand side, Amr explains, "Usually, we export most of our volumes to the Gulf countries, Russia, and the European Union. Russia imports more than 75,000 tons of onions from Egypt, and Saudi Arabia 60,000 tons. The United Arab Emirates also depends on Egyptian onions, along with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan. We usually focus on the European and Russian markets, but this year we expect different trends and welcome all business partners from all countries."
As for prices, they're still climbing, says Amr, "In the local and export markets, the price of yellow onions has reached unprecedented levels at the moment, due to the high demand and the lack of volumes at the beginning of the season. Prices of red onions, which will be available for export from May, will also see an increase compared to last season."
For more information:
Amr Kadah
HB Group For Import And Export
Tel: +20 100 928 8377
Email: [email protected]
www.hbgroup-eg.com
linkedin.com/in/amr-kadah