Egipto: Uncertainty over volumes of Egyptian potatoes
he Egyptian potato campaign kicked off at the beginning of the year. It is not yet clear how much volume will be harvested and exported, as growers’ opinions differ and the pressure of the local market’s needs will dictate the volumes available.
Abdelkader Alhabony, producer of a variety of fresh produce, told FreshPlaza: "Large areas recently reclaimed as part of government projects have been harvested this season, which has significantly increased potato volumes. Productivity in these areas, located in the desert, is higher and pesticide residues are lower. Tuber size is also varied and suitable for export, from size 55 and up. All the most popular varieties, whether for direct consumption or for the processing industry, are available in abundance. I estimate the increase in production to be around 2.5 million tonnes, taking into account the new areas brought into production. This is fortunate, as we are also seeing a considerable increase in demand, given the adverse climate for potato production in Europe."
Abdelkader Alhabony, CEO of Alhabony Group
However, another Egyptian potato grower disagrees and argues, "Despite the increase in acreage, volumes will not exceed those of last season, and may even be lower. According to my information and exchanges with colleagues, large areas of potatoes were completely lost last week due to frost. This will cause a remarkable rise in prices, given the high local and international demand. The local Egyptian market consumes 5,000 tons of potatoes a day, and processing factories are falling back on Egypt to secure their stocks early in the season. We can therefore expect a shortage of potatoes in two months."
A third grower said, "There’s no precise information yet at this stage of the season. However, I can say with confidence that the increase in acreage does not exceed the most optimistic assessment of 10%. A clue to the stability of volumes compared with last season is that the volumes of seeds used this season have not changed much. I also expect export volumes to increase compared with last season, given the high demand and the devaluation of the Egyptian pound."
The grower concludes, "We’re waiting for clarification from the official authorities who centralize data, and we’ll see more clearly in the coming days." Alhabony, for his part, concludes, "Opinions differ and we’ll see more clearly very soon, but I persist that volumes have increased considerably this season and welcome demand." According to FAOSTAT figures, Egypt produced 6.1 million tons of potatoes in 2022, of which 800 thousand tons were exported.
For more information:
Abalkader Alhabony
Alhabony Group
Tel.: +201090999229
Email: elhboneyabdelkadee@gmail.com
Fuente: https://www.freshplaza.com/latin-america/article/9593752/uncertainty-over-volumes-of-egyptian-potatoes/
