The Egyptian pomegranate season is expected to kick off next month. The start of the harvesting will be slightly delayed due to fluctuating temperatures, and Mazeed produce is doing everything they can to get their fruits ready for export.
According to Reham Kamal, sales manager for Egyptian fresh produce exporter Mazeed Produce, the Egyptian pomegranate season will be delayed slightly: “The start of the Egyptian pomegranate harvest for this season has been pushed back by two weeks due to fluctuating temperatures, which caused the flowers to bloom later than usual, we expect that the harvest will start in the middle of September. The variety is Wonderful, with 6-12 sizes. Our target in terms of export volumes is around 1100 tons of pomegranates this season, which means our entire inventory is destined for export, and we can’t wait to get started! We’ll be focusing on increasing our exports to the European markets this season, but will also target pomegranate juice factories.”
As the Egyptian government has strict requirements on pomegranates that are destined for export, it means the farmers have to work hard to meet these requirements. “It’s expected that demand for Egyptian pomegranates will be high this season. Which means we have to bring our A-game this year. Getting the quality right is one of the hardest challenges the farmers have to go through, as the government has strict requirements for the fruits in order to be eligible for export. This means meeting those requirements is the single most important and challenging ask for our farmers. The pomegranate requires special treatment. With the right quality, they can be enrolled in the coding system, so their fruits are allowed to be exported globally. As an example, many farms use paper to cover the pomegranates, as to avoid them getting burned from the sun.”
Mazeed Produce also aims to reduce plastic significantly from their operation: “Our pomegranates are packed in corrugated carton boxes with a plastic tray or paper cutting inside. The use of plastic is already significantly less compared to the packing of other fruits. Still, we are trying to decrease the use of plastic every year to support our initiative of a sustainable environment.” Kamal concludes.
For more information:
Reham Kamal
Mazeed Produce
Tel: +20 109 109 1757
Email: rkamal@aidcegypt.com
www.aidcegypt.com