Egypt Food Council Targets EGP5 bln Exports In 2013

Mr. Alaa El Bahay, Chairman of Egypt Food Export Council, said the council aims to increase the exports of the food industries to EGP 5 billion in 2013; referring that opening the highway between Egypt and Sudan will help boosting the volume of exports to Africa.

In his statements to “Amwal Al Ghad”, El Bahay asserted that the council is mulling over boosting its exports after the decline took place in January. He elaborated that the reason of diving the exports’ volume is because Iraq banned importing the Egyptian dairy products. This ban came due to political conflict leading to suspending the Egyptian exports of dairy to Iraq since October 2012.

The Council’s Chairman called on the Egyptian government, during the visit of Egypt’s Premier and Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade to Iraq, to find urgent solutions with Iraq to allow importing dairy products. He elaborated that these products represent 20% of Egypt’s food exports, whereas the Iraqi market ranks first in importing the Egyptian dairy.

El Bahay mentioned that Iraq in October 2012 imposed ban on the Egyptian dairy products for having food and mouse disease, according to the data of the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. But this matter was denied by the Egyptian exporters; referring that it is only a political conflict.