Demand for Egyptian oranges is below expectations this season, despite a promising start. "It's very strange. After a very dynamic first week, demand for Egyptian oranges has fallen sharply for no apparent reason, and the market is in turmoil," sums up Mohamed Shaker, export manager at Al Mansi.
The Egyptian Navel orange season is coming to an end, leaving large unsold stocks in Egypt, according to Shaker. He adds, "We faced strong competition this season in all our markets; there were oranges everywhere. Navel exports volumes have been much lower than last season. We are now in January, which is usually the end of the Navel export campaign, and there are still a lot of Navel oranges left on the trees."
"Only Brazil and Arab countries maintained a strong demand for Navel oranges. Russia imported less than usual, and the same was true for all other markets," Shaker continues.
Valencia oranges have been met with the same reception in the market, according to Shaker. "The Egyptian Valencia orange season started two weeks ago. We are also seeing slow demand. The first signs came from Bangladesh, where demand has been much lower than usual. All our markets are active, but volumes are much lower than normal. Exports to Europe are also slow due to increased sampling and stricter MRL controls," he adds.
The exporter describes a "disrupted" market suffering from a "lack of clarity in execution." He concludes: "The supply of oranges is good and prices are generally attractive, but clients are unable to commit to large volumes or sometimes have target prices that are far too low. It's just a very strange season."
For more information:
Muhammad Shaker
Al Mansi
Tel: +20 102 562 2070
Email: [email protected]
www.almansifresh.com
