The Egyptian potato campaign started at the beginning of the year amid uncertainty over volumes, with producers' estimates varying from high to low. Ahmed-Sameh ElDomiaty, Chairman of Domiatec, takes a stand: "As the country's leading importer of both free and protected seed, we have every reason to believe that potato volumes will be slightly lower than last season. Despite the massive increase in cultivated areas, other factors are holding back production such as climate change and quality issues in Europe."
Sameh adds, "The most reliable indicator we can use to forecast this season's volume, pending official statistics, is the amount of seeds. This season, it corresponds to 116 thousand tons, down from 144 thousand tons last season, which is slightly just below the 5 year average." According to FAO statistics, Egyptian potato production for the 2020/2021 season is 6.9 million tons, of which 614 thousand tons are exported fresh. "For that season, 111 thousand tons of seeds were imported," adds Sameh.
However, lower production will not automatically translate into lower exports. Sameh explains, "It appears that this year's demand for potatoes is quite high, particularly for processing varieties. Demand is coming from a diverse range of markets. At Domiatec, our target market for the foreseeable future is Western Europe, which shows to be dynamic."
"An inevitable increase in prices is to be expected this season," adds Sameh. "The increase is justified by the general rise in production costs."
The new production conditions, particularly climate, may require introduction of new varieties. Sameh explains: "As the importer of 20% of the potato seed used in Egypt, we have strict selection criteria, with our partners in Europe. We have been at the forefront of developing and promoting new varieties that will have added value for the Egyptian farmer, and we will be able to introduce new high-performance varieties in the future.
For more information:
Ahmed-Sameh ElDomiaty
Domiatec
Tel: +201222149181
Email: [email protected]
Ola Samir
Tel: +201026839700
Email: [email protected]
www.domiatec.com