In the context of a spectacular increase in strawberry acreage in Egypt for the next season, fears are rising among established growers and exporters in the sector regarding prices and the certain oversupply of strawberries from Egypt. Emad Mahdy, owner of Fayrouz nurseries, says that the coming season will be a major challenge and will require a great deal of work for growers to come out with good commercial results.
© Emad Mahdy
Estimates of the increase in acreage remain unclear, but Emad assures us that it is remarkably large. He adds, "The Egyptian region of Behira has seen many growers switch to strawberries this period, due to losses suffered in other crops and the positive results obtained with strawberries last season. The strawberry acreage doubled in this region alone. Available estimates indicate that no less than 100,000 feddans (1 feddan = 0.43 ha) are currently planted with strawberries."
"In this context, the challenge is to achieve the best possible quality. Farming operations are crucially important, from the choice of plants to the timing of planting, fertilization, and treatment. Growers and exporters will also be dependent on the availability of sufficient shipping lines at peak harvest times. Exporters will have to make very careful decisions in a context where the recently created industry council is not yet fully effective," Emad adds.
© Emad Mahdy
"Fresh strawberries export volumes next season will be contingent on the availability of shipping lines, and we hope the Egyptian government will work in this direction. In any case, the costs associated with exporting fresh strawberries are pushing more and more growers and exporters to shift toward processing and exporting frozen strawberries. All the growers I work with are already considering freezing and other processing methods their safe bet for next season. It goes without saying that the fresh market cannot absorb overproduction from one season to the next," he continues.
"The role of agricultural and industrial consultants, from production to freezing, will be crucial next season. At Fayruz Nurseries, we will continue to work alongside growers to ensure high-quality fruit. Our efforts and expertise have been rewarded this year with the Million Acres program's award for agronomic excellence in the strawberry category," Emad concludes.
For more information:
Emad Mahdy
Fayruz Nurseries
Tel.: +201014040722
Email: [email protected]
