Egyptian producers have good reason to be upbeat about the coming grape season, thanks to increased government support in the sector, an expected early start to the campaign and excellent forecasts in terms of volumes and quality.
“We are all looking forward to a good Egyptian grape season, which is expected to start much earlier than last year,” says Mahmoud El Shishiny of Magrabi Agriculture. “Production is looking good so far, and everybody is getting ready for a strong start. We are aiming to export around 10,000 tonnes this year.”
Heike Hagenguth of Pico Modern Agriculture concurs with this assessment. “We experienced very good weather during flowering and cool days during the dipping stage, which will ensure very good berry sizes. Up until now the only problem was the wind but, if the temperatures start increasing during the coming three to four weeks, this should ensure timely and early harvesting conditions.”
Hagenguth expects Early Sweet grapes to be available from 8-10 May until the end of the month, while the Sugraone season should stretch from 22 May to 15 June and Flame Seedless from 22 May until the end of June. “The only new varieties are Sugra 16 [Sable] and Sugra 14 [Rally],” she adds. “There should also be a few pallets of Autumn Royal ready for export.”
According to Amira Abd-Elmaksoud of Elkady Company, Egypt has been moving toward becoming a major supplier of high-quality fresh grapes for over a decade, and now looks set to fulfil its promise.
“The Egyptian government has taken a proactive stance through economic reforms and privatisation aimed at boosting the country’s grape exports, with further expansion forecast in the form of an extended window of free trade,” she says.
Another exporter, Nile Valley Trading (nvt), anticipates an early start. “The season will start seven to 10 days early this year,” says chairman and CEO Yasser Essam. “The weather has been good, as it was in 2012, with a good difference in maximum and minimum temperatures. There has also been no khamsin, the sandy wind that can damage grapes and leave spots on
the fruit.”
In addition to the main commercial varieties, including Early Sweet, Sugra One, Flame, Crimson and Red Globe, Magrabi has invested significantly in the selection and testing of new varieties licenced by Special New Fruit Licensing (SNFL).
“These varieties have so far produced very positive results in terms of quality, taste and shelf life and will serve to extend the harvest season,” says El Shishiny. “Producing in different geographical regions in Egypt is a great advantage.”
Magrabi’s grape exports had been limited to the UK and Europe, but it has expanded sendings to 38 countries. “We are keeping an eye on the expansion of the Asian and African markets, and have done a good job increasing volumes and adapting to the needs and standards of these promising markets,” says El Shishiny.
Elkady Company is equally conscious of the new opportunities for Egyptian grapes.
“Last season, we opened new markets for our grapes in Spain, Belgium and Lebanon, in addition to our existing markets in South Africa, Kenya, Russia, Malaysia and Singapore. Demand for Egyptian grapes is growing quickly all over the world and there are forecasts for a better-than-ever crop
this season.”
Pico is also increasingly targeting the East Asian market, while eyeing the US for a trial shipment. “As usual we will be present at September’s Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong,” says Hagenguth. “We are eager to meet new potential clients and to get more information about the diverse requirements of the Asian markets.”
Amr El Beltagy of Belco reveals that, although his company’s focus remains on Europe, it is increasing its exports to East Asia, as well as to other Arab countries. “The Gulf area is the main attraction for us in the Middle East, particularly the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar,” says El Beltagy. “It is not a huge market, but consumer purchasing power is strong there and people’s interest in consuming high-quality fresh produce is increasing. They are therefore willing to pay a premium for better-quality produce.”
Nevertheless, challenges remain for Egyptian grape exporters, including limitations in freight space and equipment, the short season, product sensitivity and the high cost of packaging and processing materials. “Production costs, including chemicals and labour, are a challenge,” resumes Essam. “Sea transport is another issue due to a lack of container availability and the infrequency of shipments.”
However, such obstacles are doing nothing to dissuade the main players. “In the coming three years, Egypt will benefit from new production, with new varieties of both seedless and seeded grapes,” explains Essam. “These will give us an opportunity to increase our export volumes further, target new markets and extend our season.”
“We are investing more in packaging, in sourcing new virgin land, particularly for organic crops, and in continuing our extensive research to reduce chemical use,” adds Abd-Elmaksoud. “We are opting for more biochemical alternatives in terms of packaging and assigning more investment to research and
innovation.”
In fact, one of the biggest hurdles this season could in fact be the precocity of the grape harvest.
“Planning the packing process will be a challenge, as the fruit will come early and fast, and there will be no time to lose,” warns Hagenguth.
He continues: “This should be the primary focus now in order to ensure that our grapes are delivered to the right markets.”
“Right now,” concludes El Shishiny, “we are all ready, steady and waiting for the ‘go’ signal.” —
