Ministry issues figures on Egyptian agricultural exports in 2020

CAIRO – 19 August 2020: The Central Administration of Agricultural Quarantine at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation issued a statement Wednesday on the amount of garlic, bell pepper, and eggplant exported since the beginning of 2020 until August 12.

Garlic exports hit 33,000 tons, while those of bell pepper and eggplant recorded 2,306 tons and 915 tons, respectively.

It is noted that Egypt's exports of vegetables and fruits surpass 5 million tons per annum. The COVID-19 crisis did not take its toll of such exports as Egyptian products have been keeping flowing into the United States, the European Union, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, and others.

The Cabinet plans to boost agricultural exports in FY2020/2021 by entering new markets through grapes, citrus, and garlic.

The targeted markets are Southeast Asia, Canada, and a number of African and Latin American countries.

The government wants to increase agricultural exports in the current fiscal year to 6.75 million tons from 5.58 million tons in FY2018/2019. The agricultural exports revenues in FY2019/2020 are estimated at LE2.48 billion and is planned to grow by 5-10 percent to record LE2.6-2.7 billion.

That is why the Cabinet plans to encourage the cultivation of horticulture crops, particularly those of which Egypt has achieved self-sufficiency. The percentage for zucchini, bell pepper and green beans is 105 percent, while that for citrus is 140 percent.

The government wants to enlarge the area cultivated with olives by 40,000 feddans as it is now 54,000 feddans and continue growing 100 million olive trees. That is in addition to expanding greenhouse farming like the 100,000 Greenhouse Project established by the Egyptian Armed Forces, and organic agriculture.