In pics: Harvest of Egypt’s favorite summer fruit starts

CAIRO – 26 May 2021: Walking by fruit stands in the streets in Egypt, you can notice its distinctive smell; one of the most nutritionally rich fruits “Egyptian mango.”

Juicy taste with different flavors and textures, mango-lovers consider the summer fruit the “king of the fruits.”

The fresh Egyptian mango has different colors too, including: orange-red, golden yellow, crimson red; it is one of the most nutritionally rich fruits.

Harvest season of Egyptians favorite fruit has started in farms in different governorates across Egypt.

In Luxor governorate, workers and farmers started harvesting mangoes.

Farm manager Abul-Hajjaj al-Tohami said that mango cultivation in Egypt is based in the areas close to the Nile River, because mangoes need fertile soil. There are about six to nine types of mangoes, while the favorite type in the governorate is “Zebdeya” or [butter as translated in English], which is exported to Gulf countries. The other three types that follows in rank are: El-Galk, Sediqa and Ewisi.

Egypt exports mango, namely the Tymor, Awees, Indian, AlFons, Zebdia, Sukaria, Kihat and Senara types, to several European countries.

Sami Abdel Rahim is an owner of a mango farm in Esna, whose workers head to the farm every day to harvest the fruit, and sell it to traders.

The crop is also distributed to exporters who send to Arab and European countries, as well as transporting some of the crop to juice companies.

Climate change affecting mangoes

Sami added that the head weather caused lack of yield on some trees, which could lead to its high price this year compared to last year.

“Due to the fluctuating weather in winter and summer, mango crops have become significantly less than last year, and it is possible that prices per kilo will rise in the market,” Sami explained.

In Egypt, the governorate of Ismailia is the main mango-growing area, known for producing the finest mangoes. The soil and climate of Ismailia are especially favorable for the cultivation of Egyptian mangoes. The city of “Beauty and Enrichment” includes vast areas of fertile agricultural land, producing the most famous Ismaili mangoes.

Successfully planted in diversified spots of land, mango is cultivated on 33,904 acres throughout the country. On a yearly basis, the mango harvest in Egypt starts from July and lasts until November, bringing farmers an abundant income in comparison to cultivating other fruits.

History of Egyptian Mango
 

The mango was first brought to Egypt from Sri Lanka. The fruits cultivated by Sri Lankan farmers are, in turn, derived from Indian varieties.

Later on, Mohamed Ali Pasha planted the first shrubs in 1825. The first mango tree was planted in what is known today as the garden of the Egyptian Faculty of Agriculture at Ain Shams University. Ironically, it was originally regarded as decorative rather than a fruit tree.

Additional reporting by Mona Ahmed