Over the last half-decade, Egypt has significantly bolstered its vegetable and fruit exports to Poland, nearly doubling the volume as per EastFruit's reports. By the close of 2023, Egypt ascended to the ninth spot in the supplier rankings for these commodities in the Polish market, a notable leap from its fourteenth position in 2019 and sixteenth in 2020.
Poland remains a substantial net importer of vegetables and fruits, notwithstanding its considerable export figures for select items like apples and frozen raspberries. Between 2019 and 2023, Poland's fruit and vegetable imports oscillated between 2.9 to 3 million tons, with their monetary value escalating from $3.2 billion to $4.3 billion.
Typically, Poland's primary sources for vegetables and fruits are southern EU nations (Spain, Italy, Greece), South American countries (Ecuador, Colombia), European re-exporters (Netherlands, Germany), and Turkey.
Egypt's export surge to Poland over the past five years has been primarily fueled by two product categories: frozen strawberries, whose shipments have nearly tripled since 2019, and oranges, with exports almost doubling. The most rapid sales volume expansion was observed in mandarins and sweet potatoes: orange exports soared from 120 tons to nearly 3 thousand tons, while sweet potato exports climbed from 500 tons to 2.8 thousand tons.
In the realm of frozen strawberries on the Polish market, Egypt maintains its leading supplier status, contributing almost 80% of the total imported volume in 2023. In the garlic sector, Egypt ranks second among key suppliers, while for oranges, red onions, and potatoes – it stands third, fourth, and fifth respectively.
In aggregate, Poland's expenditure on vegetable and fruit imports from Egypt reached $85 million in 2023, a significant increase from just over $36 million five years prior. Contrastingly, imports from Spain – Poland's top supplier – amounted to over $850 million, despite a yearly decline in tonnage.
Source: east-fruit.com