Climate change seriously hampers the strawberry industry in Egypt

Climate change is hitting North Africa harder than anywhere else in the world. In Egypt, climate change is manifesting in many forms and impacting several crops, one of the most sensitive being strawberries. Mohamed Ali Fahim, advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture, and Emad Mahdy, CEO of Fayruz Nurseries, take stock of an industry in difficulty and forecast a difficult season ahead.

Fahim, who is also Chairman of the Climate Change Information Center, describes how climate change is manifesting itself in Egypt: "We are increasingly witnessing sudden and sharp temperature swings, irregular rainfall distribution and extreme climatic accidents such as heat and cold waves. This has a physical impact on plants and soil quality."

Fahim continues, "Temperatures will continue to rise in Egypt. The last season (2023-2024) was particularly difficult for strawberry growers, and we can expect an even more difficult season for 2024-2025. We expect more heatwaves, sudden temperature changes, long dry spells, and surprising rainfalls. Summer will be late, bringing hot, dry winds and record temperatures. We're also expecting a short but very cold winter with episodes of hail and a rainy autumn."

On the production front, Mahdy sees the results on the ground. He described a particularly difficult season last year: "Strawberries were very sensitive to weather conditions. Due to the high temperatures, the fruit ripened too quickly, which reduced its size and quality. There has been a problem with the supply of exportable strawberries, particularly in markets where import standards are strict."