Egypt’s agricultural exports increase 13.9% in nine months

Egypt’s agricultural exports rose 13.9 percent during the first nine months of 2017, reaching 4.1 million tonnes compared to 3.6 million last year, agriculture ministry spokesman Hamid Abdel Dayim said on Sunday.

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.

Exports of potatoes, grapes and strawberries rose, Dayim said.

The export growth comes after a turbulent year for Egyptian produce, with a Hepatitis A scare in North America linked to Egyptian strawberries and a temporary ban on Egyptian fruits and vegetables in Russia, one of Cairo’s major buyers.

Source: Reuters