Gehan El Sherif, export manager for El Rawan, states that prices for pomegranates from Egypt are higher this year, as production is lower: “We’re seeing less quantities for pomegranates overall this year, but quality is comparable to that of last season. We’ve just finished the 116 variety this week, which means we’re now packing Wonderful and Balady varieties. Since volumes are lower than last year, prices have been higher this season. We sort only the best quality pomegranates for our clients and the higher prices allow us to do so. It does mean we’ll have a lot more waste this year, which is also a reason for price increases.”
Demand has already been strong in the European markets, but the Asian market is also requesting more pomegranates as time goes on, El Sherif explains. “Demand is on a higher level right now than it was last year at this time, especially in the European market. Day by day we see demand increase from the Far East, which is great as they take a very large percentage of our Wonderful and Balady pomegranate stocks.”
Egypt is dealing with a large increase in costs as well, but El Sherif emphasizes the company will still be able to offer what their clients expect from them: “Another factor in the increase in prices, would be the higher price of electricity. This contributes to inflation in general in Egypt. Despite the higher prices, I do expect demand will be higher in the coming months, as Wonderful is the most common and well-liked variety for all of our clients. The real success and competition this season, is to make the best quality for our clients at very competitive prices.”
For more information:
Gehan El Sherif
El Rawan
Tel: +20 109 985 0716
Email: gehanelsherif@el-rawan.com
http://el-rawan.com/en