Egypt continues to increase its potato exports to Greece, with EastFruit reporting that over 156,000 tons of ware potatoes were imported into Greece from Egypt in the MY 2023/24. This import was valued at $64 million, showing a 12% increase from the previous season and a 71% rise from the 2021/22 season, reaching an all-time high.
Greece is the second-largest destination for Egyptian potato exports, following Russia. Typically, shipments from Egypt to Greece occur in the latter half of the marketing year when Greek stocks are low, with peak exports between February and April.
Since 2002, Egypt has been the leading potato exporter to Greece, aided by affordable logistics and competitive pricing. In MY 2023/24, Egyptian potatoes constituted about 65% of Greece's total potato imports. France contributed 12.8%, and Cyprus 9.1%. In total, 18 countries exported potatoes to Greece during this period.
The increase in imports from Egypt is linked to rising domestic potato consumption in Greece and re-export volumes. According to FAOSTAT, Greece's domestic potato consumption in 2022 was 301,000 tons, up 12% from the previous year.
Greece is also an active potato exporter, with export volumes growing. In the 2023/24 season, Greece exported nearly 80,000 tons of potatoes, setting a national record. Main export destinations included Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland.
Egypt ranks among the top five global potato exporters, while Greece was 14th among world potato importers in 2023.
Source: EastFruit