The Egyptian fresh strawberry season is drawing to a close, giving place to the start of the frozen strawberry campaign. "It's been an excellent season for most growers," says Elsayed Elgohary, owner of Marvel Farm. The grower is delighted that his fears at the start of the season have been proven wrong.
Elgohary says, "From a commercial point of view, we were pulled back from the brink. We were worried about the constant and acute increase in production costs over the last few years, while strawberry prices have not budged. Export prices remained stable again this year, but we were compensated by the devaluation of the Egyptian pound against the dollar. All in all, prices have been rewarding this season, and the devaluation of the EGP saved the strawberry campaign."
Demand for Egyptian strawberries was higher than usual as soon as the season started in November, explains Elgohary: "We have been capitalizing for years on customer satisfaction and the early start to the season. We receive virtually no complaints, which is why our strawberries are so popular. This season, too, demand has been solid from several countries, including the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and others."
"Growers with early production are those who have benefited most from the success of the campaign," adds Elgohary. In terms of varieties, this early production is represented by Sensation, Brilliance, Beauty, and Felicity.
The strawberry season has also been spared by the Red Sea crisis, which is having a major impact on exports of other crops since shipments are made by air, says the producer.
Towards the end of the season, "the market that is maintaining strong demand in Russia, while European demand is fading."
The frozen strawberry phase is also promising, according to Elgohary. "Last season's price range was around USD 700-1000 per tonne and has now risen to USD 1,200.
For more information:
Elsayed Elgohary
Marvel Farm
Tel.: +201002496633
Email: [email protected]