Egyptian lemons will arrive on the market in September. Expected volumes will undoubtedly be higher than last season, and demand seems to be stronger too, according to Eslam Gelila, CEO of Gelila.
The exporter says: "Many farms have planted lemons after last season's success. At Gelila, we are either the first or second largest exporter of lemons in Egypt every season. We're going from a volume of 5,000 tonnes last year to 6,200 tonnes expected as of September."
Quality-wise, Gelila says he expects a balanced distribution of sizes and good overall quality from the Eureka variety, which dominates production.
"We have prepared well for the lemon season in order to make the most of market opportunities and the shortage of lemons in several parts of the world," adds Gelila. "Above all, we want to avoid the same scenario as the orange campaign, which suffered greatly from the Red Sea crisis."
The Asian market accounts for 10% of Egyptian lemon exports (last season), suggesting that the Red Sea can be mitigated more easily than for oranges. Meanwhile, over 50% of last season's lemon exports were destined for Saudi Arabia. "Despite Saudi Arabia's geographical location on the Red Sea, trade between Egypt and Saudi Arabia is not affected, and transit takes no more than two days," says Gelila.
In terms of price, Gelila says, "Prices are not clear yet with a month to go before the start of the campaign. But we can expect the usual trends: slightly high prices at the start of the season, stabilizing thereafter. From what we're seeing from our competitors, in South Africa for example, our prices will be much more competitive."
Gelila concludes, "We are currently finalizing the installation of a new packing line, which will be in operation in September, just at the start of the lemons campaign. This investment will increase our capacity from 600 to 900 tons per day."
For more information:
Eslam Gelila
Gelila
Tel. +20 100 000 4540
Email: [email protected]
www.gelila-eg.com