The shortages of Spanish vegetables has led to a steep increase of prices for cucumbers, cauliflowers and zucchinis, among other produce. When looking at alternative suppliers to fill this gap, Egypt will not be the solution to the problems.
According to Hans Korsten, CEO of Partner in Sourcing, based in Egypt, the vegetable shortage in Spain can not be solved by Egyptian vegetable producers. “The main issue is that these vegetables, like cucumbers, cauliflowers and zucchinis that are cultivated for local consumption in many cases do not meet the requirements for export. As a country for exports to Europe, Egypt simply isn’t a big player for these vegetables and thus it’s impossible for these growers to go into ‘export-mode’ at only a day’s notice.”
Korsten states that this doesn’t mean there won’t be any exports of these vegetables at all, especially considering the high prices that could be received for this produce, but it will be only a drop in the ocean. “As Egypt has a more stable climate than Spain buyers in Europe should, for the future, consider to spread the risk and buy in program from two sources. However, in terms of logistics compared to Spain, Egypt has some challenges. When speaking about the here and now, anything that Egypt would supply will simply not have enough impact to make a difference in this situation.” he concludes.
For more information:
Hans Korsten
Partner in Sourcing
Tel: +20 10111 996 94
Tel: +31 6 124 156 00
Email: hkorsten@partnerinsourcing.com