Most of Egypt's date export quota to Türkiye for 2026 has been reached in just six weeks. Under the free trade agreement between Egypt and Türkiye, a quota of 5,000 tonnes of dates can be exported each year. A check of Turkish Ministry of Trade figures on February 12 shows that only 814 tonnes remain of the annual quota of 5,000 tonnes, meaning that 83.72% of the quota is already exhausted.
© Youness Bensaid | FreshPlaza.com
Egyptian exporters of Medjool dates were already complaining last year about insufficient quotas, forcing an early end to the 2025 export season to Turkey. Mohammed Kammoura, export manager at J K Agri, says: "The year 2026 began with very strong Turkish demand for Egyptian dates, and Egyptian exporters and Turkish importers alike were waiting for the quota counters to be reset. This demand is driven by the Ramadan period, the peak consumption period for dates. Once again, it is clear that the current quota falls short of the needs of the Turkish market, and we expect it to be entirely exhausted by the end of February this year, leaving ten months of null exports."
According to the exporter, the quick exhaustion of export quotas to Türkiye reflects strong demand for Egyptian Medjool dates this season, a trend also observed in other markets. He adds, "Demand far exceeds what we are used to, and Medjool dates are now becoming a mainstream product. This also coincides with a marked improvement in the quality of this variety in Egypt this season, with sizes and overall quality superior to last season."
"The Turkish market is one of the most important destinations for Egyptian Medjool dates. We are trying, along with our Turkish partners, to advocate for the increase of quotas to reach 10,000 tonnes, hopefully next season. We are now turning to other markets, particularly in the European Union, such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands," Kammoura continues.
Despite the imposition of quotas in Türkiye, Egyptian date exporters have enough markets to sell their production this season. Kammoura says, "Most growers have already exhausted their stocks of Medjool dates, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to source the best quality dates."
© JKagri
"However, the obvious insufficiency of quotas will be a challenge in the coming years. Production in Egypt is expected to rise significantly with the expansion of date acreage, and the increasingly early arrival of Ramadan will further complicate supply to the Turkish market," the exporter continues.
The beginning of Ramadan, the lunar month in the Islamic calendar, falls 11 days later each year on the Gregorian calendar. It coincides with February 18 in 2026, February 8 in 2027, January 28 in 2028, and January 16 in 2029.
For more information:
Mohammed Kammoura
JK Agri
Tel:+201225595291
Email: [email protected]
www.jk-agri.com
