Univeg Katopé UK has welcomed the first arrivals of Fairtrade Egyptian Oranges, grown by co-operative Soliman Agriculture, into the UK.
The oranges are grown on the western edge of the Nile, south of Alexandria, in a season which runs through May until the end of June.
Manaj Saleh of Egyptian consultancy agency Blue Moon says the partnership is one of the big success stories to emerge in the wake of the ‘Arab Uprising’ in the Middle East.
“Univeg continues to meet its pledges to social responsibility and we thank them for helping to get this operation up and running”.
Meanwhile,David Maris, technical manager for Univeg Katopé UK, says that the supplier will continue to work with small producer groups.
He concluded:“This project is one of a range that Univeg is progressing, working specifically with small producer groups to bring new FT products to market, both in the UK and Europe. We have been pleased to be involved in this project and provide a route to market for the growers”
UK sales of Fairtrade products hit the £1bn mark in 2010.
