The Egyptian sweet potato season has just ended in December for most exporters, especially those lacking cold storage facilities. "It's been a hectic and unstable season due to rapid expansion, but we've continued to gain market share in Europe," says Zayed Lasheen of AfriGoodGrow.
The grower explains: "This season, production volumes have increased significantly in a short time. The prices and profitability of this sector have attracted a large number of Egyptian growers. I'd say volumes are up 35% or more on last season."
Lasheen adds: "The large number of producers and exporters inexperienced in this demanding product in terms of growing, curing, and sorting experience led to an observable drop in quality, which caused confusion. This was reflected in prices, with great disparity. Prices were very volatile and we didn't really understand how they were influenced, but it falls under the big number of players who recently joined the industry. It was just tough and weird. We saw prices vary, for example, between 0.5 and 1 EUR per large-caliber box on the Dutch market, which is abnormal. In general, prices were lower than in the previous season."
Export volumes of Egyptian sweet potatoes have also increased significantly, Lasheen says. "At AfriGoodGrow, our sweet potato export volumes to Europe have doubled this season compared to the previous one. We were helped by the expansion of our packing plant, and we put a lot of effort into making urgent deliveries at our customers' request."
Despite the confusion that marked the season, it brought great stability according to Lasheen: "Egyptian origin continues to gain market share in Europe against Spain and the United States. We have a clear strategic advantage in terms of the cost of growing, favorable climate, and suitable soil. Egyptian fields love sweet potatoes, and this is reflected in yield and quality. What's next, the product needs to be known and adopted by the markets, and Egyptian sweet potato players need to gain experience in sorting and curing."
The campaign faced other major challenges, Lasheen adds."The logistics factor was a source of complications. Vessel delays reached up to two weeks. Our customers in Europe have also seen a change in consumer behavior, with less interest in fresh produce in general. Many fruits and vegetables have seen less demand from the end consumer.
The campaign is now coming to an end for most Egyptian exporters. Lasheen: "After a six-month campaign, including 4 months of really high supply, it's closing time for exporters who don't have cold storage facilities. At AfriGoodGrow we are continuing our programs and moving this season to year-round exports. We also have the advantage of better-growing conditions thanks to our project for the contracting and technical support from several growers, as well as an overall long and specialized experience in sweet potatoes."
For more information:
Zayed Lasheen
AfriGroodGrow
Tel: +420 739 019 060
Email: [email protected]
www.afrigoodgrow.com