Global demand for Egyptian soft citrus is strong despite competition from Turkey and Morocco, and Egyptian mandarins are obtaining good prices, according to Ahmed Abdel El-Ghafar, executive manager of Gift Fruit.
The exporter says, "Our Egyptian mandarin calendars started a month ago and will continue until January. We're seeing good demand in several markets in the European Union and Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Croatia, Russia, and Ukraine. On the other hand, there are far fewer exports to Asia due to the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea."
"At Gift Fruits, we are still making Mandarin deliveries to Malaysia, but we can't maintain normal delivery levels to markets like India or China because of the crisis in the Red Sea. Citrus is mainly water and can't withstand the long transit time."
According to the exporter, mandarin volumes have increased this season in Egypt, in contrast to oranges, whose volumes are down from the previous season.
In terms of competition, the Egyptian season began at a time when Turkey and Morocco were supplying Europe and the Middle East. Abd El-Ghafar says, "As we entered the market with consistent volumes, the competition turned in our favor."
The exporter continues, "We have a clear competitive advantage, as we do better sorting for mandarins this season. This is what characterizes the current mandarin season in Egypt, as we begin to meet the demands of the European market with more extensive sorting, which also increases our costs."
Abd El-Ghafar concludes, "Our costs have generally risen by around 20-30%, which has been reflected in our prices. However, this has not influenced demand, which remains solid."
For more information:
Ahmed Abd El-Ghafar
Gift Fruit
Tel: +20 12 71578398
Email: [email protected]
www.gift-fruit.com