Distancing himself from the products that Egypt exports in copious volumes, Egyptian grower, packer, and exporter Motaz Hassan has chosen to differentiate his business by producing exotic and rare vegetables, in a market where the Egyptian origin is not well-known. "After three years dedicating ourselves fully to this line of business, we are confident that we have made the right choice. Our products benefit from endless elements of the successful Egyptian agricultural export system, and the market is rewarding," he assures.
© Motaz Hassan
The grower recounts his venture: "After a long period of production and trading in the United States, I decided to return to my native Egypt and stay true to agriculture. The question was which products to grow, given the multitude of possibilities in Egypt. I decided to grow the same products that I had cultivated in the United States and Mexico, such as chilli peppers, bell peppers, habaneros, and chives, and other vegetables that are considered rare or exotic. This was an intuitive choice given my agricultural experience, but it was not without commercial risk. I started by importing seeds from the Netherlands and France and setting up greenhouses. After three years of production and export, everything is going well in terms of both agronomy, with good yields and high-quality produce, and commercially, with solid demand in Europe."
© Motaz Hassan
The growers say he benefits from an "unfailing" agricultural ecosystem in Egypt that can be transposed to many crops. He explains: "The country is conducive to agricultural production, with fertile land and a favourable climate. At the operational level, Egypt is spared many of the serious problems that hinder agricultural production elsewhere, such as labour availability. Add to that much lower production costs than in Europe, and a very strict and reliable export system that guarantees clear MRLs, traceability, food safety, and quality at destination, and you have all the ingredients for success."
© Motaz Hassan
Over the last three seasons, the producer has diversified his catalogue. He describes his operations: "We currently operate 24 acres and are expanding soon to an additional 24 acres of greenhouses for chillis. We also grow chives on 12 acres, in addition to other products in the trial stage. Our chilli pepper season runs year-round with two production cycles. Chilli growing requires extensive care and labor, as we need 200 workers for growing, harvesting, and post-harvest operations to export one ton of fresh chilli, bearing in mind that only 65% of the harvest can be exported. As for our chives season, it runs from September to June, with a yield of two to three tons per week. We are in the midst of a growth phase and plan to increase our acreage and add more products by 2026, such as basil."
"We are also well-known for the premium quality of spring onions, green beans, snow peas, and sugar snap peas. Despite fierce competition, our label, The Farmer's Baskets, is well appreciated by our customers in the Dutch market. All our products are covered by our certificates in place, such as BRC, SMETA, Global GAP GRASP," Hassan continues.
© Motaz Hassan
On the commercial front, Hassan reports that the market is rewarding. "We currently export to the Netherlands, where our products are then distributed throughout Europe, as well as directly to Germany. We are also seeing strong demand in the UK. Chilli peppers are particularly easy to market in Europe thanks to strong demand, as we have seen just recently at Fruit Attraction."
For more information:
Motaz Hassan
ADM Trading & Projects
Tel: +201007639639
Email: [email protected]
www.tfb-egypt.com
