Egyptian dates exports rise 127% at end-Feb.

Egypt’s exports of dates increased by 127 percent during the first two months of 2018, recording $20.4 million on a year-on-year basis, according to the Food Export Council.

On Monday, the council added that the volume of date exports reached 21,600 tonnes in January and February 2018, compared to 12,000 tonnes in the same months last year. This is a recorded increase of 81 percent.

In January 2018, dates exports were recorded at $8.2 million via 11,000 tons, according to the council’s statement.

Meanwhile, a total of $12.3 million was achieved in February 2018, after the export of 10,600 tons.

February exports are considered to be the highest in date export history after March 2014’s exports recorded $7.6 million. Indonesia was allocated 58 percent of the date exports, or 12,000 tons, during the two months at $12 million.

Morocco came second at $6.3 million through 6,700 tonnes.

The council plans to cooperate with the Food Industry Technology Center and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in order to hold a number of workshops and activities concerned with the international marketing of dates, as well as packaging and quality systems to increase the added value of this important product.

Egypt is the world’s largest producer of dates with a volume of 1.5 million tons, representing about 17 percent of the world’s production volume of dates. Source: Egypt Today