Egyptian Medjool dates are currently in their 'kamry' (large green) stage, and "the upcoming season is shaping up well in terms of production, with good quality and size, and higher volumes", says Ramadan Elsayyad, export manager at Palm Hills Dates.
"The cultivation area increases every season. There is also a production of offshoots (new palms) at a rate of at least one offshoot per 5-year-old palm. This indicates that the cultivation area should double more rapidly," continues Ramadan. "Date quality and growing conditions have been typical so far, and total volumes for next season are estimated at between 30,000 and 35,000 tonnes, an increase of at least 100% on last season. This increase is due to two key factors: the start of production of new offshoots and higher yields from productive palms."
The only concern for growers, according to Ramadan: "We fear the potential sandstorms, which could have a negative impact on the fruits and reduce quantities. However, we hope that the weather conditions will remain favorable".
As for demand, Ramadan says: "I think we will see similar patterns to last season, with strong demand for Egyptian dates due to the geopolitical situation, which has influenced the global Medjool map. The top potential market for the coming season is Turkey, due to distance and existing trade agreements. Other promising markets are Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Spain, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Japan and Australia."
Until recently, the trend in terms of packaging was towards small-weight boxes, or even individual boxes, reflecting a strategy of presenting Medjool dates as a snack. But that's changing, according to Ramadan. He explains, "Last season, the most popular packaging sizes were 1kg and 5kg. This trend is expected to continue, as the production for the upcoming season is projected to increase. The pace of work will be rapid because of the large volumes and the early arrival of the month of Ramadan, on the first of March. So at least at the start of the season, we'll be focusing on 1-5kg packs."
For more information:
Ramadan Elsayyad
Palm Hills Dates
Tel: +20 102 008 4117
Email: [email protected]
www.palmhillsdates.com