Egypt to begin exporting garlic to Indonesia after reaching a deal

Egypt expects to export garlic, a crop it has typically had in surplus, to Indonesia soon, Agriculture Minister Ezz el-Din Abu-Steit announced on Thursday.

Egyptian officials from the agricultural quarantine authority were in Indonesia to reach an agreement aiming to tap into new markets for the Egyptian garlic.

Egypt’s agricultural exporters have seen a surge in demand since the country floated its currency last November, allowing it to roughly halve in value as part of reforms tied to a three-year $12 billion International Monetary Fund loan agreement.

Egypt’s garlic exports reached 12,703 tonnes during the current harvest season, said Ahmed al-Attar, head of the Central Department of Agricultural Quarantine.