Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, El-Sayed El-Quseir, announced that Egyptian agricultural exports exceeded 2.2 million tons, generating $1.5 billion in revenue during the first quarter of 2024.
This represents a significant $300 million increase compared to the same period in the previous year, despite global and regional challenges affecting supply chains. This growth comes even as Egypt implemented export bans on certain agricultural products to bolster the domestic market.
The minister attributed this surge in agricultural exports to Egypt's successful efforts in opening 95 markets over the past decade, exporting more than 400 agricultural products to 160 countries. This export strategy focuses on products where Egypt has a competitive advantage, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and potatoes.
The goal is to increase economic returns, support farmers and Egyptian producers by marketing surplus production, maintain price stability, and ensure sustainable profitability for farmers.
Exports are a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt, with total exports from fresh and processed agricultural production reaching about $9 billion last year.
A report from Dr. Saad Moussa, the supervisor of the Agricultural Quarantine Authority, highlighted the total Egyptian agricultural exports from January 1, 2024, to the end of March, reaching 2,218,302 tons valued at approximately $1.515 billion.
The report detailed the top exports as citrus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, garlic, strawberries, beans, guavas, and tomatoes. Citrus fruits led the export volume with over 1.199 million tons, followed by 387,603 tons of fresh potatoes, making it the second-largest agricultural export. Beans, both fresh and dry, ranked third with 54,110 tons, while sweet potatoes and fresh tomatoes followed in volume.
Follow the latest news on Google News
