Egypt agricultural exports jump to $2.9 bln in 1H 2024
The statement, citing a report showcasing the sector’s figures, said the volume of agricultural exports increased by 300,000 tons in 1H of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 4.9 million tons.
Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk said the ministry is working on implementing presidential directives concerning promoting agricultural exports and supporting quarantine systems, as agricultural exports are a key aspect of the Egyptian economy and the most important source of maintaining foreign currency reserves.
Farouk was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in the most recent cabinet overhaul announced last week, replacing El-Sayed El-Quseir.
The minister added that the ministry is continuously developing its activities to achieve Egypt’s ambitious plan of increasing Egyptian exports to $100 billion annually by 2030.
This comes against the backdrop of Egypt launching various agricultural initiatives and land reclamation projects to help with food security, decrease reliance on imports, and increase sources of foreign currencies.
These include the “Future of Egypt” initiative and land reclamation projects in Toshka, the New Delta, and north and central Sinai.
Saad Moussa, supervisor of foreign agricultural relations and Egyptian agricultural quarantine, said the quarantine works with a strategy aiming to expand exports through implementing a tracking system for goods exported abroad, implementing importing countries’ quarantine requirements, opening markets, digital transformation, continuous training for agricultural quarantine workers, and the use of technologies in the import and export system.
Moreover, he noted that despite facing multiple regional and international challenges, more than 350 Egyptian agricultural goods remain present in more than 160 countries.
The agricultural quarantine report highlights a list of exported agricultural products, ranked by quantity from the highest. The top three were citrus fruits, with a quantity exceeding two million tons; potatoes, with a quantity exceeding 930,000 tons; and onions, with a quantity amounting to about 131,000 tons.