EGYPT – Egypt’s agricultural exports have entered into 4 new markets despite the on-going global pandemic of the spread of the corona virus, exporting dates to Australia, orange to New Zealand, citrus to Brazil, and potato to Mauritius.
According to the Head of the Central Administration for Agricultural Quarantine, Ahmed al-Attar the country’s agricultural exports sector has not been affected by COVID-19 crisis.
Attar speculated that Egypt’s agricultural exports would rise to 5.5 million tons in 2020 compared to 5.4 million tons in the previous year with total exports since January already hitting 2.2 million tonnes.
The official pointed out that Egypt has been able to beat Spain and become the world’s top citrus exporter with 1.8 million tons annually.
He added that since January Egypt has exported 1.2 million tons of citrus and 550,000 tons of potato, which is the country’s second top export crop.
In 2019, Egypt exported 687,842 tons of potato and 602,016 tons of onion, which is the country’s third top export crop. Since September, Egypt has exported 68,000 tons of onion.
Attar stated that the crops are exported in accordance with specifications set in response to the COVID-19 outbreak globally.
In this regard, a technical committee has been deployed at urban ports and seaports as well as sorting and packaging stations to ensure that such specifications are met.
The official added that the government had taken measures to eliminate the obstacles facing agricultural exports such as facilitating air transportation to Arab and European countries at reasonable prices.
They have also organized transportation of workers to sorting and packaging venues amid the partial curfew taking place in the country with vehicles carrying vegetables and fruits have been exempted from the curfew.
With the rise in demand of Egypt’s exports, the US tops the importing countries followed by the European Union, Russia, the Netherlands, and Australia.
