The Egyptian spring onion and sweet potato season is now coming to an end. "In a few days, we expect the last containers, almost the same as last year," reports Sarwat Radwan, specialist importer for Egypt and managing director of AKL ExoFresh GmbH. According to the Dortmund-based company, the season has been a mixed bag. The turning point was the start of the new year.
"Until the end of the year, the spring onion campaign went according to plan. After that, there were significant problems with shipping, which in turn were due to delays in the Egyptian seaports." As a result, some planned containers did not arrive at all. "Demand was high, but supply was very limited, which is why, unfortunately, we were also unable to serve all our customers. This has also led to prices doubling in some cases after the turn of the year."
© AKL Exofresh GmbHThe Egyptian spring onion and sweet potato campaigns are now coming to an end.
Meanwhile, the German spring onion harvest has begun in the Palatinate region, among other places. The new produce from domestic cultivation is still relatively expensive about the imported goods and, in addition, is not fully available. Radwan: "There are certain customers who want to switch directly to German products, but there are also some who will stick with the Egyptian product until the end of the season. The fact is that we will end this year's season relatively early, similar to last year." In addition to spring onions of Egyptian origin, imported goods from Morocco and Italy can sometimes be found. However, these origins are supplementary compared to Egypt.
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comSarwat Radwan at Fruit Logistica 2024. Ramadan, which ended in calendar week 13, has not had a significant impact on business, he says.
Extreme weather affects supply situation
Similar to the situation with spring onions, Radwan can also look back on a mixed campaign for sweet potatoes. "Here, too, there was more than enough product initially to supply the markets adequately. After the turn of the year, the situation then changed completely, which is particularly due to the weather. It rained a lot and was exceptionally cold, which is why the quality of the crops suffered greatly. This particularly affects the spring onions, which are comparatively a bit more sensitive."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comLeft: Guavas of Egyptian origin. Right: AKL ExoFresh GmbH also offered Egyptian strawberries for the first time this year. The season ended in January.
Low price level characterizes orange juice market
AKL ExoFresh GmbH was founded in 2020 and emerged from a sole proprietorship. The young company is mainly dedicated to the procurement and marketing of fruit and vegetables from North Africa and the Middle East. The end of the season is also approaching for Egyptian juice oranges of the established Valencia variety. "Sales have been encouraging of late, but prices have been extremely low. We expect to receive further deliveries until the end of April or the beginning of May. We are also gradually entering the Jordanian season and will be offering, among other things, fruit vegetables such as mini courgettes, mini cucumbers and mini eggplants, as well as locally grown almonds," he concludes.
For more information:
Sarwat Radwan
AKL ExoFresh GmbH
Mallinckrodt Str. 320
44147 Dortmund
Tel: +49 (0) 231 / 993 670 74
Fax: +49 (0) 231 / 225 228 76
Mobile +49 (0) 173 / 565 123 7
info@aklexofresh.de
www.aklexofresh.de