The carrot growing season in Egypt ended on a high note, while the export campaign is still underway. The season was marked by good volumes and quality despite phytosanitary problems, according to Ahmad Mokhtar Abu Zaid, from the Egyptian grower Agris.
Ahmad said: "The carrot season in Egypt ended in May, but export programs generally continue until August or until stocks run out. This year's campaign is marked by demand outstripping supply."
Growers are gearing up for the next season, which starts soon, says Ahmad "In Egypt, we harvest carrots three times a season. The first period runs from August to mid-September, when we produce so-called Korean and Japanese varieties, intended for table carrot production."
"The second begins in early October when we produce hybrid varieties for table carrot production too. The last, which has just ended at the beginning of May, concerns the so-called French varieties, which are destined for the carrot storage and processing industries," adds Ahmad.
This year's campaign was marked by considerable challenges, according to Ahmad, "Right from the start of the campaign, we came up against a general rise in production costs, including inputs and treatment products. The increase in these costs came at a time when we particularly needed these products, due to several diseases and pests that ravaged the carrot industry in Egypt."
"Despite this, we achieved higher volume this season than the previous one, thanks to steadily increasing demand. We had good quality carrots, in terms of taste, aesthetics, and size, but at the price of a more expensive produce," continues Ahmad.
The grower expects sustained demand next season too, "the market situation is favorable for carrot growers in Egypt, and we expect strong demand to continue as Egyptian carrots are newly discovered in markets."
For more information:
Ahmed Mokhtar Abozied
Agris
Tel: +20 102 129 5808 (Arabic)