The Egyptian sweet potato season is nearing its end. Everyone can look back on a mixed marketing season, Jan Preiss of import company Preiss Agrar, Handel & Beratung from Ebstorf tells us. "The goods from Europe, not only from Spain and Portugal, but also Germany and the Netherlands, tend to exert more pressure on imported goods from third countries. Together with fairly strong export volumes from Egypt, this has led to significant price pressure on Egyptian sweet potatoes."
Further complicating the situation this year were immense cost and inflationary increases, which have fundamentally changed consumer purchasing behavior, Preiss continues. "Consumers are now trying to save money on groceries, cutting out unnecessary items. While sweet potatoes have spread rapidly in recent years, they are not necessarily part of the European shopping basket in the same way as, say, potatoes or apples. This has been reflected in weaker demand. Overall, sales have been nowhere near as brisk as in previous years."
Freshly harvested sweet potatoes of the Bellevue and Beauregard varieties (pictured) are generally marketed between late August and late October. Stock is shipped through mid-to-late December.
Exciting citrus season ahead
While supplies of Egyptian sweet potatoes are running low, the first table oranges of Egyptian origin are hitting the market with the first navels. Preiss says, "Business this year will be very different from previous years. There is apparently little large-caliber product in Egypt, but these large-caliber navel oranges are meeting with very high demand in Southeast Asia. So we have to expect that only a few large caliber table oranges will be exported to Europe at high prices this year. Customers will generally have to switch to smaller oranges, especially as there is also said to be less larger fruit in other countries of origin. In this respect, we are facing a challenging citrus season."
In addition to table oranges, Preiss Agrar also purchases industrial oranges of the Baladi variety.
Restrained peanut campaign
Preiss Agrar was founded 19 years ago. It is dedicated to the trade in agricultural products, focusing on early potatoes and oranges. The packaged business with early potatoes from third countries usually takes off from mid-March. Here, too, higher cost prices can be expected due to increased production costs as well as high logistics costs.
"Normally, Egyptian and Israeli peanuts in various forms are also an item in demand between late October and February. However, I have the impression that this year the snack sector tends to cut back and the products are taken less. Here, however, it should also be mentioned that nuts are traded at quite a high price and that this product segment is currently less in the focus of the consumer. In many respects, 2022 has been an absolutely exceptional year," Preiss concludes.
For more information:
Jan Preiss
Preiss Agrar, Handel & Beratung e.K.
Brüggerfeld 36
D-29574 Ebstorf
Tel.: +49 5822 947483
Fax: +49 5822 947493
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.preissagrar.eu