Good Egyptian citrus season expected

Egypt is a major producer of oranges. Thanks to the excellent growing conditions, such as a good climate, fertile soil and almost year-round sunshine, combined with the availability of water for irrigation (the Nile), the yield per hectare is substantial. The country similarly benefits from other advantages, such as low wages, an earlier harvest than its competing countries (Morocco and Spain) and the proximity of major importing countries.

The orange production in the country hovers around 2.4 million tons, 63% of which is destined for domestic consumption. About 33% is exported and the remainder is processed into juice. Oranges represent 30% of the total Egyptian fruit production and 65% of citrus production. The main growing areas are located near the Mediterranean Sea and of course on the banks of the Nile. In total, the acreage exceeds 131,000 hectares.

Recently a Dutch company, Fruit Avenue BV, received the first Egyptian Navel Oranges. According to Nico Persoon, responsible for sales within the Dutch branch of Fruit Avenue, the Egyptian oranges taste very good. They are a bit sweeter and have more flavour than the average navel. This January the company expects the Valencia oranges. "Normally, the price of these oranges is slightly below the Spanish," he says. "And the costs of transport are no longer an obstacle these days. A container by ship from Egypt is actually cheaper than a truck from Spain."

He doesn’t think that the smaller production in Spain will cause an increased demand for Egyptian oranges. Due to the recession, the market has simply become smaller, so there is plenty to go around. The somewhat lower costs of Egyptian oranges might have some consequences. Therefore, Persoon is quite optimistic about the coming season. He says he’s not troubled by the unrest in Egypt. "In our industry, everything has been going as usual."