Sudanese producer Elaabid may be enjoying the current conditions on its local market, but that is not preventing it from planning ambitious ventures further afield. The company grows a wide range of produce, including bananas, mangoes, papayas, guavas, watermelons and a variety of vegetables, which it sells both domestically and to other Arab countries, such as Jordan and Egypt. However, the allure of the European market is seemingly too great to ignore.
'The market in Sudan is very good at the moment,' says the company's Faroug Elaabid, 'and there is a high potential for growth. But we have just started sending to the Netherlands, and we now want to begin exports to other markets in Europe like Germany.'
A factor that could assist the company in its latest European mission is the lack of chemicals applied to its produce. 'Our products are perfectly natural and chemical-free, and we use no additional irrigation since we have three rivers running through our estate,' explains Elaabid. 'We therefore want to gain organic certification. The only problem is that it is very expensive.'
