For the coming grape season, at least 20 per cent of the Egyptian export volume will be subjected to residue inspections upon arrival in Europe. This, in addition to increasing requirements regarding food safety and quality from other parts in the world, such as the Middle East and the increasingly important China, has made alarms go off in Egypt, according to Hans Korsten.
“The 20 per cent standard results in high costs - up to 800 euro per sample - and delays upon clearance, which can cause loss of income (lower price due to delayed delivery). The reason for the European measure didn’t come out of the blue, and people in Egypt therefore realise this can’t go on. We are on the brink of disaster,” Hans explains. “Under an initiative of the Agricultural Export Council, a council in which exporters of agricultural products from Egypt are represented, it was decided in cooperation with, among other things, the Ministry of Agriculture to implement draconian measures.”
“All grape farms and grape packing stations are subjected to audits right now, and, based on the results, the owners will receive a registration number upon approval. This registration number will become part of the traceability system, recognisable on the packaging label, and in the case of residue-exceeding in Europe, sanctions will follow, such as exclusion of further export,” Hans continues.
The audit emphasises the management of pesticides and their applications and hygiene in the packing stations. “The measure has only been in effect for some weeks now, and I wonder whether there’s enough time to submit nearly 8,000 hectares to an audit, but as a rule, Egyptians don’t mind putting a bunch of public servants on the job. Some claim that many farms haven’t passed the audit, and won’t receive their registration number, and that’s naturally a good development. Export product without a registration number won’t be able to leave the country,” Hans says.
“Besides quite a number of wonderfully professional companies, who will pass the audit with flying colours, plenty of companies with no affinity with agriculture but which are desperately looking for sources of income, are also part of the Egyptian agrarian export. The registration system should lead to excluding these often amateurish parties. Sifting the wheat from the chaff, and elevating the Egyptian export product to where it belongs: the absolute top of International Fresh Produce,” Hans emphasises.
For more information:
Hans Korsten
Your Partner in Sourcing
26 Gelf El Choueifat
5th District, New Cairo
Cairo, Egypt
[email protected]
