Window of opportunity for Egyptian grapes to supply the world

The Egyptian grape-season is coming to an end and it has been kind to the Egyptian growers. Last year there were some issues caused by the cold weather, causing the grapes to grow rather late. This year however, the weather has been great,which means the grapes were growing a lot earlier. This resulted in the grapes having better taste than they did last year. Exporter FinBi for Land Reclamation and Agriculture Development took advantage as the company saw a huge demand for white grapes this year, which in turn led to higher prices.

There were some significant trends this season though, May Salem, General Manager of FinBi says: “We noticed that red Crimson grapes were abundant in supply, so nobody wanted ours. Everybody ordered them from countries like Chile and South Africa. What we see currently, is that the world wants us to fill a window where those countries can’t supply enough for the demand, mainly in the months May, June, July and August.”

Egypt is looking to progress their agriculture as a whole, with some help from the government. Growers and traders are being encouraged to seek out new markets. “The problem with the classic markets like UK, Holland and Russia is that we don’t get paid up front. Sometimes it even takes them longer than a month to pay up, so we’ve been looking to penetrate new markets that will pay us either up front or upon documentation that the goods are underway. Of course China is a great market with high demand, so all growers are looking for new opportunities there.” Salem states.

Besides the two classic varieties, Flame red and Superior white grapes, FinBi saw Royal Autumn as the new upcoming variety. It has gained a lot in popularity, whereas the Flame grapes have been a bit disappointing demand-wise. Besides the grapes, FinBi also sells Pomegranates leading to their brand name of Nates ‘N Grapes.

Salem claims the Egyptian agriculture is progressing at a steady rate. The results have been better harvests, better markets and some dedication from the Export Development Authority, which sponsors the Egyptian companies participation in exhibitions and trade fairs. “The agriculture sector is becoming more efficient with the support of HEIA (Horticultural Export Improvement Association) for the technical advisory and training and AEC (Agriculture Export Council) for market reach and standards. The integrated export system for grapes, pomegranates and other fresh produce is a good example of the collaboration between these two organizations to keep up with the international exports standards.”

For more information, please contact:

May Salem
FinBi for Land Reclamation and Agriculture Development
Tel: +202 37495616
Email: may@natesngrapes.com
http://www.natesngrapes.com/