Fruit and veg exporter aims to expand in African market

Esraa Assaf, head of exports and logistical services at ITAMCO for Agriculture Development (Ghabbour Farms), said the company currently exports to Arab, Asian, European, and some African countries. In 2017, it aims to expand in African markets, as well as in eastern Europe and south-east Asia.

Assaf explained that the company’s main activity lies in producing and exporting vegetables as well as fruit crops, including lemons, grapefruits, grapes, pomegranates, peaches, apricots, mangoes and strawberries.

For its export operations, the company depends on 20 countries: India, Malaysia, Singapore, Belgium, Bangladesh, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Nigeria, and South Africa.

The company also owns 2,000 acres on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road where they produce lemons, mangos, grapes, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, artichokes, lettuce, cabbages, broccoli, and other vegetables.

Assaf said that Ghabbour Farms owns a production line to package grapes with the capacity of 80 tonnes per day. This line has been in operation since 2006, in addition to other lines to package pomegranates, mangoes, and strawberries in order to export them to countries around the world.

The company owns many types of grapes in Egypt that meet international standards and are cultivated on an area of 570 acres. Grapes and mangoes represent about 60% of the company’s total production, according to Assaf.

All types of mango trees are cultivated, both foreign and local, on an area of more than 600 acres, whereas fruit seeds are cultivated on an area of 297 acres, including peaches, apricots, and plums.