Philippine Embassy Holds Meeting with Egyptian Citrus Exporters

The Philippine Embassy in Cairo, led by Nolie M. Volchancio, Philippine Agricultural Attaché for the Middle East, Africa, and India, met with Egyptian officials and citrus exporters to inform them of the steps for exporting citrus to the Philippines after the agreement on the final requirements between the Ministry of Agriculture of both sides.

During the meeting, Philippine Ambassador to Egypt, Asedin Tajo, expressed his gratitude to the officials and exporters present, and his support for initiatives and projects that would boost agricultural trade between the two countries.

On his part, Volchancio also discussed the Philippines' conditions for importing citrus as outlined in the work plan agreed upon between the Philippine Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Plant Industry and the Central Administration of the Agricultural Quarantine in Egypt.

The work plan is based on Administrative Circular No. 1 of the Bureau of Plant Industry series for 2023, or the "Rules and Regulations Governing the Importation of Fresh Citrus Fruits from Egypt to the Philippines," which took effect on August 16, 2023 and allows the export of the following types of citrus to the Philippines:

-Grapefruit

-Lemon

-Mandarin

-Sweet orange

-Clementine

-Tangelo

Furthermore, Volchancio also mentioned the upcoming plans to facilitate the entry of Philippine agricultural products into markets such as durian, rambutan, and carambola, which have a promising future for export to Egypt.

The Philippines currently exports pineapple and banana to Egypt, and fresh coconut and frozen durian can also be exported from the Philippines to Egypt.