Egypt: The world’s biggest exporter of oranges

WHILE many may associate Egypt with pyramids and pharaohs, the country is fast on track to become an agricultural powerhouse in Africa.

According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), agriculture contributes 11,3% to Egypt’s GDP and accounts for 28% of all employment.

While the sector is still largely dominated by smaller farms that use conventional agricultural practices, this is quickly changing as the Egyptian government steps up its investment in the sector.

In 2021, Egypt exported 5,6 million tonnes of agricultural goods, compared with 5,1 million tons in 2020. According to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the export of citrus fruit was most significant, with 1,8 million tons exported in 2021.

is was followed by fodder beets (650 340t), potatoes (614 424t), onions (276 141t) and grapes (143 450t). Other important export crops include strawberries, pomegranates, beans, guavas, peppers, mangoes, garlic and watermelons.

In this article, we specifically look at Egypt’s production of oranges, and the challenges and opportunities in the country in this regard.

Oranges

Egypt is currently the world’s biggest exporter of oranges, which accounts for around 80% of its total citrus production.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Egypt is expected to retain this ranking, despite an almost 200 000t drop in exports to 1,45 million tons due to unfavourable weather conditions and their impact on production.

Egypt’s orange exports in 2021 were estimated to be worth around US$843 million.

However, with Russia and Ukraine being amongst the country’s biggest importers of oranges, Egypt may have to find additional markets for its produce, as the RussiaUkraine war looks set to continue. In terms of expenditure share, Russia imports approximately 20% of its oranges from Egypt.

According to the USDA, Russia imported about 250 000t of oranges from Egypt in the 2020/21 marketing year, with Ukraine importing around 50 000t. Russia and Ukraine thus account for around 20% of Egypt’s total orange exports.

e USDA expects orange production to drop 16% (570 000t) to three million tons over the next season.

is is due to unfavourable weather conditions, including fluctuating temperatures during flowering, which has reduced fruit set.

Challenges for the upcoming season

Egyptian orange producers are struggling with many of the same problems that currently affect farmers across the world.

ese include high fertiliser costs, logistics problems and unfavourable weather conditions. However, the country also has a number of unique challenges.

For the upcoming season, for example, there is a lack of demand for larger oranges, which excludes a large portion of Egypt’s crop over the past season, according to Abdullah arwat, business development manager at Pyramids Agriculture.

“e Egyptian orange season started in December with the Navel and Baladi varieties. ere was a high demand for small sizes of Navel, but only 30% of the harvest can be considered small. is leaves 70% of the production larger-sized, and, as stated, there has simply been little demand for these sizes.

“For the Baladi variety, the demand was low compared with the previous season. Some markets still have oranges from the South African season stored in their cold stores.”

Russia also recently set new rules on pesticide use, which means that farmers in Egypt will have to adjust their production practices, as Russia remains one of its biggest importers.

Despite these challenges, says the USDA, Egyptian farmers, growers’ associations and the government are working on replacing old orchards, improving on-farm irrigation techniques, and reducing post-harvest losses. — Farmers Weekly.