(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) >
Cairo – The exports of Egyptian agricultural company Gouda increased by 18% to 20% in the last harvest, to 145,000 tonnes. The company plans on stepping up exports by 25% in the current harvest by widening current export markets and breaking into new ones. The figures of the last harvest include all foods produced, with special emphasis on citrus.
Hassan El-Bashbeshi (pictured), vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gouda Company for Agricultural Crops, said the last period has seen a boom in agricultural exports in various proportions, since the company has reached growth rates above the target in some markets, while in others the goal was not reached
In an interview with ANBA during Food Africa, a trade show that took place in Egypt from December 12 to 14, El-Bashbeshi said the company has exported to Latin American market but in small volumes and only products like frozen strawberries and pomegranates as well as certain types of frozen peppers whose seeds are imported from Latin America, then grown, frozen and reexported as a finished product.
He said exports of raw produces are still weak and that expanding into Latin American countries require a greater definition by Egyptian companies of their production and exports capacity to the region. Courses and seminars should also be held for familiarizing Egyptian companies with Egypt-Mercosur agreement and the products that Latin American countries need the most.
Opportunities in Africa
El-Bashbeshi expects that Egyptian exports continues to grow in this harvest, particularly to markets in Africa, East Asia, and Russia. He explains that the African market is hungry for Egyptian products and that it is a promising market that has seen high growth rates.
“The state with all its agencies is focused on the African market, and (Egypt's) Agricultural Exports Council prioritizes exports to Africa. The new export assistance program was devoted to the African country, with an emphasis on supporting companies to face and overcome the challenges they find in the African markets,” he said.
According to El-Bashbeshi, there are some barriers in exporting to the African market, particularly fee collections and transportation, which have been partially overcome. Exports have posted a marked increase over the last three years, with all types of citrus and dates, onions and potatoes being the leading exports to the African market.
The executive argued for the need to establish shipping lanes between Egypt and other African countries to maximize trade of all goods beyond agricultural ones. He expects that the operations of a bridge between Sokhna Port in Egypt and Mombasa, Kenya, contributes to doubling exports in the coming period. He stressed that Kenya, Gana, Mauritius and Djibouti are some of the most important markets in the continent, where Egyptian products see high growth rates.
Russia and Asia
El-Bashbeshi added that the Russian market will continue to be a major market in the current harvest due to the ban on Turkish products, the strongest competitor for goods from Egypt, and the ban on products from the European Union. El-Bashbeshi see good prospects in Asia, particularly following the entry of citrus from Egypt in the Japanese market, as well as China, Indonesia and others.
El-Bashbeshi said that Gouda will start exporting to the Japanese market later this year. A partnership between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) and Egypt's Agricultural Exports Council was established to provide training for the employees of the company on how to implement the requirements of the countries across all phases of the export process to meet Japanese standards.
He added that Egyptian citrus have reached the Japanese market in the last harvest through one company, and that the current harvest will see more companies breaking into Japan, which is one of the largest and most relevant markets for products from Egypt.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
The post Egypt's Gouda exports 145,000 tonnes of agricultural goods appeared first on Agência de Notícias Brasil-Árabe .
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