"We have made several visits in the past to Hong Kong and, after thorough market research, we realized that there was potential in the Chinese market and we decided to try out a few trial shipments," explains Mohamed Gonbour, who is in charge of the China market. "Most of our citrus this season was programmed for other markets and China was something new, a trial. China is a difficult market, very different from others. The scale is totally different and of course you need to understand the culture, so it was a lot to take in. But despite that, this trial shipment can be classified as a success with future possibilities. The Chinese market considers oranges/citrus as a commodity and only accepts premium quality into the market. The oranges were distributed in Shanghai and Guangzhou. We as “Masr Fresh“ believe that we are the right partner to meet this demand."
South Africa is a huge exporter to China, as are Australia and the US, but according to Zine Zouggari, Director and Commercial Manager, "Between those seasons a gap exists for Egyptian oranges and, as long as you perform on quality, the Chinese will respect that. They are not particularly concerned from which country the fruit originates, but the quality must be excellent. Chinese consumers are very big on brands so we also want to build the Masr brand. We are currently in the process of setting up a new office in Hong Kong."
"This time we sent small volumes of oranges to test the market," states Mohamed. "We are hoping to develop this market in the coming years. Egyptian grapes will start in June and we are looking at the possibilities at sending those to China too."
Masr Fruit will also have Egyptian red onions available by the end of May and sweet potatoes start in August with a new variety.
Max Kryeziu
MFI Group
Tel: +31 180 713 017
Direct: +46 73 643 67 88
Email: max@masrfruit.se
www.masrfruit.com