Date exports increase 10% in H1 2017: Minister of Trade

CAIRO – 8 October 2017: Date exports in Egypt have increased by 10 percent in the first half (H1) of 2017 from the same period of 2016; amounting to 22,000 tons at a cost of $19.5 million, Minister of Trade Tarek Kabil said in a statement Sunday.

The statement came on the sidelines of signing three memoranda of understanding between Minister of Trade Tarek Kabil and his Emirati counterpart Mubarak Al-Ganainy targeting growing, producing, and storing dates in several Egyptian governorates.

The ministry also announced that technical studies will be provided, in addition to establishing two new factories for dates. The ministry is also opting for the support of the Khalifa award for palm trees, to fund the factories.

Kabil said that Egypt is the biggest exporter of dates in the world, but the rate of export does not correspond with the rate of production. He also pointed out that the Khalifa award for palm trees helped boost Egypt’s export rate.

Three memoranda of understanding between Egypt and the UAE were signed worth $40 million. On the sidelines of the signing, Kabil pointed out that Siwa’s Dates Festival aims to establish further value for the production of dates. Furthermore, he also announced that new markets have been opened such as U.S., Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and Morocco.