Egypt finally leads EU sweet potato supply rankings

In the 2023/24 season, Egypt achieved a new milestone by setting a record for sweet potato exports to the EU, surpassing the USA in supply volumes, according to EastFruit. This marks a significant achievement for Egyptian exporters in the EU market, as the new export record seemed inevitable by the end of last year.

During the 11 months of the 2023/24 season (July 2023 – May 2024), Egypt exported 109,000 tons of sweet potatoes to the EU, consistently setting monthly records since August last year. Consequently, Egyptian exports to EU countries increased by 45% compared to the previous season, and nearly tenfold compared to the 2018/19 season.

The Netherlands remained the primary market for Egyptian sweet potatoes in the EU, although its share decreased compared to previous seasons. In the 2023/24 season, the Netherlands’ share of Egyptian exports to the EU dropped to 62%, down from the previous range of 70-78%. This shift indicates an increase in direct consumers of Egyptian products. For instance, while the Netherlands increased its imports of Egyptian sweet potatoes by only 29% in the 2023/24 season, Romania and Italy saw increases of 50-60%, and France – of 70%. Furthermore, Slovenia doubled the imports of Egyptian sweet potatoes, Germany almost tripled, and Spain almost quintupled them.