In Egypt, the frozen sector continues to shape the strawberry industry, to the point of eclipsing fresh strawberries. When it comes to decisions about which varieties to plant, and how much of the harvest to export to the fresh market, frozen is a decisive factor. "The figures speak for themselves," says Mohamed Sayed Ahmed, of Elswedy Food Industries, "80% of annual production is destined for frozen exports, which are much more in demand."
The current season is proving this approach right," continues Mr. Ahmed. "Usually, fresh strawberries are sold at a higher price, but exporters still prefer to work in the frozen strawberry sector due to the high demand. "This year, however, production has almost halved due to weather conditions. Yields have fallen from 15-30 tonnes to 12-15 tonnes per feddan. Volumes are insufficient, while demand remains strong. Now that the fresh strawberry season is over, prices for frozen strawberries have risen by 30-40% compared with the previous season. This is the first time I've seen this".
This is because the market for Egyptian frozen strawberries is larger and more dynamic, as Ahmed explains: "Fresh strawberries are mainly in demand in Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, and small quantities are exported to the European Union and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, IQF strawberries are in high demand in Germany, the UK, Poland, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Lithuania, and other European countries, and blast-frozen strawberries are in demand in Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan."
"Growers therefore take the frozen market into consideration in their planting decisions," adds Ahmed. "So they choose the most resistant varieties to freezing, such as Fortuna and Festival, which are gaining ground over the other varieties. Acreage is also steadily increasing, despite the difficult fresh strawberry campaign. Next season, acreage is expected to rise by at least 30%, despite insufficient prices for fresh strawberries this season, the reason being demand for frozen strawberries."
The exporter dismisses concerns about the country's financial crisis, which has turned this season into an energy crisis involving widespread power cuts: "Electricity cannot be cut off in industrial zones, but we're seeing the price of electricity and therefore the cost of frozen strawberries increase".
For more information:
Mohamed Sayed Ahmed
Elswedy Food Industries
Tel/Whatsapp:+201157845538
Email: [email protected]
www.elswedy.com/