The Egyptian citrus season is now gradually coming to an end. "We started just before the turn of the year with Baladi oranges, which we offered until the end of January. Then we moved seamlessly on to Valencia oranges," reports Eid Abdelkader from Adlergreen GmbH, based at the Hamburg wholesale market. The Valencia orange is considered the flagship of the Egyptian citrus industry and is used both on the fresh market and by the industry. "At the moment, a lot is going to the juice industry, which is why we literally have to scrape together the quantities we need for the fresh market. This bottleneck also means that prices are sometimes twice as high as last year. Nevertheless, we will continue until the end of May before switching to South Africa."
Valencia oranges of Egyptian origin
Adlergreen GmbH was formed in fall 2024 out of ES-ADLER GmbH, which was founded in 2022, and acts as the exclusive distribution partner for selected Egyptian producers. The up-and-coming company operates both an import agency and a traditional stall at the local wholesale market in Hamburg. Abdelkader: "We supply fruit and vegetable wholesalers throughout Germany, but also have customers in neighboring France. At our stand, we serve both local wholesale market colleagues and other resellers." The wide range of products includes not only standard products, but also unusual items of Egyptian origin, such as Barhi dates and mangoes. "This year, we are not offering Egyptian grapes, which are now gradually coming onto the market, as larger quantities will be available from Italy and Spain in a few weeks, and the marketing window is therefore too short."
Eid Abdelkader (right), managing director of Adlergreen GmbH, was represented this year as a sub-exhibitor at the stand of Egyptian citrus partner Good Seed.
Season kicks off for red onions, early end to the spring onion season
This year's red onion campaign is also gradually gaining momentum, Abdelkader continues. "We usually start with one container per week and then quickly increase the import volume to two containers per week. Our season normally lasts until the end of July. Similar to oranges, onion prices are also significantly higher than last year, which is due, among other things, to increased logistics and labor costs."
Egyptian sweet potatoes and spring onions
When it comes to vegetables, spring onions have also been a real export hit for many years, he emphasizes. The German market also relies mainly on Egyptian produce outside the domestic season. "We start the season in November and withdraw from the market as soon as the new harvest gets underway in the Palatinate. This year, we ended our campaign in mid-March, which is a little earlier than usual," he concludes.
For more information:
Eid Abdelkader
Adlergreen GmbH
Hamburg Wholesale Market
Tel: +49 (0) 162 7769447
[email protected]
www.adlergreen.net