According to EastFruit, Egypt has set a new record for mango exports to Saudi Arabia in 2022, reclaiming its status as the largest supplier in this market that it had lost the previous year. Furthermore, mango exports in this direction have also remained at record levels in the first half of this year.
In 2022, Saudi Arabia imported 34,000 tonnes of mangoes from Egypt, exceeding the previous year’s figure by 60%. It is worth noting that mango production in Egypt sharply declined in 2021 due to adverse weather conditions (temperature fluctuations led to early fruit drop), as reported by TheNationalNews.com with reference to Mohamed Fahim, a consultant on climate change to Egypt’s agriculture minister. As a result, mango exports from Egypt to Saudi Arabia fell to 21,000 tonnes in 2021, compared to 33,800 tonnes in 2020.
The mango export season from Egypt to Saudi Arabia begins with shipments of the earliest varieties in June. The peak of exports usually occurs from July to November, and by winter, trade volumes decrease to their minimum. As for this year, according to the available data, 250 tonnes of mangoes were sent from Egypt to Saudi Arabia in June. This is a record figure for this month; however, it does not necessarily mean that a record should be expected for the entire year of 2023.
According to the same article from TheNationalNews.com, mango production in Egypt is highly dependent on weather conditions and significantly varies from year to year. This year, many farmers frequently reported sunburn on mango fruits, which could negatively impact the overall export of this product from the country. Mangoes with sunburns are mainly sold in the local market or used for processing. According to Hassan El-Refaey, a mango producer in one of the regions of Egypt, if there is at least one sunburned fruit in a crate with healthy mangoes, the discoloration spreads and ruins the rest of the batch.
In 2022, Saudi Arabia imported 80,000 tonnes of mangoes, making it the fourth-largest mango importer in the world. The import volume of these fruits has been steadily increasing since 2019 and may reach a new record this year if Egypt can ensure corresponding exports to this market. During the first half of this year, Saudi Arabia imported a record-breaking 54,000 tonnes of mangoes; however, this mainly consisted of products from Yemen. On the other hand, the results of the second half of 2023 will depend almost entirely on the production situation in Egypt.
It is worth noting that mango imports in Saudi Arabia are primarily oriented towards supplies from these two countries. Their combined share in annual volumes has grown from 67% in 2018 to an overwhelming 81% in 2022. Interestingly, Yemen successfully exports mangoes to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries despite an ongoing civil war since 2014 and various economic and financial problems. Moreover, only in 2020 and 2022 Egypt managed to export more mangoes to Saudi Arabia than Yemen.
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Egypt and Yemen are not in direct competition in the Saudi Arabian market. Yemeni mangoes are primarily available here in the first half of the year, while Egyptian produce is more prevalent in the second half. Local mangoes, which production amounted to 89,000 tonnes in 2022, are harvested from April to August. Towards the end of spring and during summer, fruits from Pakistan (9,000 tonnes of imports in 2022) and India (2,000 tonnes) are also sold in the Saudi Arabian market. Among the largest mango exporters to Saudi Arabia from the Southern Hemisphere are Kenya (2,900 tonnes in 2022) and South Africa (500 tonnes), which supply their produce from late autumn to late winter.
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