© Agro Trade Holland
The export season for Egyptian sweet potatoes is now in full swing: "We received our first deliveries back in June. Initially, prices were high and stable; due to volume pressure and sluggish sales, prices are now returning to a seasonal level, almost similar to the same period last year. I would classify this year's harvest volumes as average compared to previous years," reports Mohamed Moustafa, sales manager at Agro Trade Holland.
© Agro Trade Holland
The export window for Egyptian sweet potatoes extends from the start of the season in June into the following year. According to Moustafa, the Agro Trade Group's goal is to offer sweet potatoes of Egyptian origin twelve months a year in the future. "But that's still a pipe dream: last season, we had to end our campaign in February, but there are also years when we almost manage the connection. Experience shows that the peak season begins after the summer holidays and lasts until the end of the year, although there are also food retail customers who run programs with Egyptian goods between January and March, for example. In this respect, ordering behavior varies greatly depending on the sales market and food retail chain."
© Agro Trade HollandThe sweet potatoes are delivered in the desired packaging, whether loose in a carton, in a returnable crate, or prepackaged. In Germany and the Netherlands, loose goods are strongly preferred.
Bellevue is tending to replace Beauregard
At the variety level, there has been a gradual trend reversal in recent years, Moustafa continues. "In terms of area, Bellevue has now replaced the former main variety, Beauregard. Off the top of my head, I would say that Bellevue now accounts for up to two-thirds of our cultivation capacity, and the trend is still rising. The price differences between the two varieties are generally negligible. If we look at the desired sizes, European food retailers clearly prefer the M and L1 grades, while wholesale markets primarily demand coarser produce in the L1, L2, and XL grades."
© Agro Trade HollandRepresentatives of the Agro Trade Group at this year's Fruit Logistica with Mohamed Moustafa (2nd from right). The group of companies is represented in the Netherlands, Germany (Hamburg), France (Rungis), and the United Kingdom. It primarily markets Egyptian fruit and vegetable products under its own established brand, Mahdy Fresh.
Growth potential in the fresh market and in industry
Sweet potatoes continue to gain importance in Egyptian agriculture. Moustafa: "Not only our cultivation partners, but also many competitors are now increasingly focusing on sweet potatoes, often as a substitute crop for citrus fruits, for example, and are expanding their acreage. This, in turn, is leading to a noticeable increase in competition and volume pressure, especially during the peak season, i.e.,
in the middle of the campaign. Meanwhile, consumption is also increasing, whether in Germany, the Netherlands, or other European markets. The product is not only gaining market share in the fresh market but also in the industry, where more and more burger restaurants are offering sweet potato fries alongside the tried-and-tested French fries. In my opinion, there is growth potential in both sales areas."
For more information:
Mohamed Moustafa
Agro Trade Holland B.V.
Tel: +49 (0)174 9334914
[email protected]
https://www.instagram.com/agrotradeholland/
