Egyptian strawberries enter European markets
The Egyptian strawberry season has recently kicked off but European volumes for strawberries are sti…The Egyptian strawberry season has recently kicked off but European volumes for strawberries are still quite low. According to Fady Adly, Export Coordinator of Capespan - Egypt, "This season, strawberry quality is going to be excellent. The strawberries are medium in size and have a nice conical shape. They look fresh and shiny and have a sweet taste with good brix levels.
Capespan started a week ago with the Fortuna variety, to be followed by the Festival variety. “Right now is the right time for Fortuna strawberries. Like other berries, strawberries have a limited shelf life, so we need to pay additional attention to appearance, texture and color. We calculate and plan all our logistics with regards to shelf life, so we can deliver our product to our customers in excellent condition.”
Adly went on to say that the limitation of strawberry volumes in Egypt is due to weather conditions. The differences between day and night temperatures have been quite extreme this season, which has influenced positively the quality, however it negatively affected harvested quantities.
Capespan’s main target this season is to export strawberries to European countries beside our main markets in Asia and the Middle East. “Our main target clients are retail chains. Right now, prices are quite high due to limited supply.”
He also added that the main challenge for Egyptian exporters right now is the financial situation in Egypt due to the floating of the local currency. “Everything has become more expensive, like raw materials and labor costs, which influences the final price. I also think that this increases the competition between Egypt and the EU countries for strawberries at this time” concludes Adly.