Egypt Accounts for 19% of Global Date Production

Egypt produces nearly 19% of the world’s total date output, maintaining its position as the largest date producer globally, according to statements made by Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk on Sunday.

Speaking during a tour of the Date Exhibition in Bab Al-Shaaria, Farouk highlighted the strategic importance of specialized agricultural exhibitions in opening new marketing channels, promoting modern products, and facilitating knowledge exchange among producers, traders, and consumers.

The minister noted that Egypt’s annual date production stands at approximately 2 million tonnes, supported by more than 24 million palm trees nationwide. He added that the government is pursuing expansion plans focused on cultivating high-value, export-oriented date varieties to strengthen Egypt’s competitive position in global markets.

Farouk emphasized that Egypt has made significant progress in the processing and export segments of the date industry. The country currently hosts over 200 date-processing facilities, including factories and packing and packaging centers, many of which have been modernized through joint public and private sector support.

“These developments have led to a noticeable increase in Egypt’s date exports,” the minister said, attributing the growth to improved quality standards and successful efforts to open new markets across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The agriculture minister underscored that enhancing value-added processing and expanding export reach remain central to Egypt’s agricultural strategy, particularly for crops with strong global demand such as dates.