Egypt: Berry sweet super food: opportunities for local and export markets
Growers in Egypt and Jordan have discovered berries as a high value cash crop. Middle class consumers in Europe and the Middle East are becoming more health conscious. Berries are full of nutritious goodness and a great way to have kids get their vitamins. As horticultural innovation has been able to allow growers to produce more for less, berries have become more accessible for consumers’ weekly diets. There are great opportunities for Dutch technologies and expertise to strengthen berry production.
In Egypt, open field strawberries are an established cash crop. Smallholders have been producing strawberries for market in Qalubeia governorate for generations. Egypt’s competitive advantage at scale make it an exporter of frozen strawberries delivering local added-value. Jordan has shares a lucrative exporting window with Israel for exporting strawberries. Yet they can guarantee their produce does not come from occupied territories. Al-Jabali Farms, which has been supported by the Netherlands funded HEAD-Jo project is using Dutch hydroponic technology to grow strawberries to capture this market opportunity.
Dutch propagation material contributes to berry growing opportunities. Recently a shipment of 13680 berry seedlings arriving from the Netherlands to Alexandria were cleared for imports. A committee from the Central Administration of Horticulture and Agricultural Crops, the Agricultural Quarantine Authority and the Plant Pathology Research Institute examined them and concluded that they were safe to enter the market, according to Al Masry Al Youm.
Beyond strawberries, more opportunities exist as a ‘Knowledge and Inspiration Tour’ organized by NABC recently discovered. Fresh produce grower exporter Belco is working to adapt blueberries to the local climate for its trading partner Bakker Barendrecht, which supplies Albert Heijn supermarkets in the Netherlands. The berry value chain was identified as a point for follow up to demonstrate growing media, crop protection, irrigation and fertigation technology and expertise from the Netherlands.
Export opportunities exist, but the local market can also be lucrative is you have a route to market. An Egyptian-Dutch family business My Very Fruits uses an internet platform as well as direct sales to high-end outlets to target sell ‘exotic’ fruits to the Egyptian middle class. Using Dutch technology and propagation materials, they are substituting for expensive imports making these healthy fruits more available to Egyptian consumers.
The agricultural team in Egypt and Jordan will continue to follow horticultural developments and work with partners to co-innovate locally relevant solutions to unlock opportunities.