The trade of Greek apples in Egypt is taking a negative turn after the initially good start made by the Gala variety, according to Mr. Baset Elbahy, product director of the Greek import-export company Amaltheia Yada, FreshPlaza informs.
“Whichever apple starts first usually performs well. The Greek Gala apples from Agia did well this year in Egypt, but now they are finished, and the situation has changed. The apples currently available from mountainous areas such as Arnissa and Kastoria are few and of second quality, either due to scab or hail damage. These issues are slowing down exports, and only when prices drop will these apples be able to move,” he explains.
However, even the export of first-quality Greek apples to Egypt is proving difficult this year, as quantities are limited. Mr. Baset comments: “Given the competitiveness in quality and price that characterizes Italian and Polish apples, even top-quality Greek apples cannot be exported to Egypt at the moment. They are expensive, as they were purchased from growers at high prices, and naturally, traders are not willing to accept anything less than an equivalent selling price. Fortunately, the Greek domestic market absorbs a significant volume of apples, which provides a good alternative — there is no rush to export.”
“Even the cooperatives that rely heavily on Egypt for their apple exports can afford to wait and hope for a market recovery, since they pay their members through settlement payments. There might be some urgency around April or May if stocks remain large by then,” he adds.
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One of Amaltheia Yada’s main products at this time of year is pomegranates. According to Mr. Baset, “Greek Wonderful pomegranates are already available, but quantities are not large. We will start with Egyptian Wonderful pomegranates in November, and around the Christmas holidays, demand for them will increase. We are also very active in the kiwifruit trade, focusing on overseas markets. By mid-January, or by the end of that month at the latest, Egyptian potatoes will start arriving. It seems that there will be very high product availability. The same, however, is observed for the French production, so we expect noticeably lower prices.”
Finally, the product director of Amaltheia Yada is cautious in his assessment of Egyptian oranges. “It is still a bit early, but so far, the product does not seem to have the characteristics we are looking for. There may be many medium sizes,” he notes, emphasizing that the situation still requires careful observation.
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