The Egyptian strawberry season is in full swing

Since mid-November, the export of fresh Egyptian strawberries has been officially underway. The Exporter Fruit Kingdom expects a solid season, as demand and production are good. Prices will increase slightly due to higher transportation costs, especially air freight.

According to Amr Kadah, the strawberry season is already in full swing and will be very long. "We started harvesting the Egyptian strawberry at the beginning of November, but the export started two weeks later when the fruits reached the required quality. The cultivation starts in August, and the strawberries are harvested two months later. The harvest continues for more than seven months".

Prices for Egyptian strawberries will be a little higher this year, but this is due to increased logistics costs, explains Kadah. "The weather has been very suitable for strawberry cultivation and has not harmed the product. The Egyptian strawberry is characterized by wonderful taste, high quality, and average price, but the current shipping prices are too high, especially air freight, which drives up export prices".

Kadah says that Egyptian strawberries have found their way into the market in more than 50 countries. "Egyptian strawberries can be eaten in most European countries, Persian Gulf countries, Russia and Asia. The strawberries are exported to more than 50 countries worldwide, and we always meet the high demand yearly. The main markets of our strawberries are Belgium, Germany, UK, Russia, Netherlands, France, Ireland, UAE, Oman, and Malaysia".

The Fruit Kingdom as a company expects to increase export volumes of fresh and frozen strawberries this year as acreage has grown. "The total volume of Egyptian strawberry production in 2020 reached half a million tons. The cultivated area in Egypt this year has amounted to more than 16,187 hectares of strawberry fields, so we expect our export volume of fresh strawberries to exceed 30,000 tons this season. In addition, we also have an export season for frozen strawberries that starts in February every year, immediately after the export of fresh strawberries ends. I expect export volumes to exceed 200,000 tons this year, as Egypt ranks first in the export of frozen strawberries".

"With the high demand for Egyptian strawberries in many countries, we expect a very good season this year. The product has been developed into the best varieties, such as Sweet Sensation, Fortuna, and Festival. These varieties are tasty, have a good aroma, and Brix levels reach 9%," Kadah concludes.

The Egyptian strawberry season is in full swing PDF