Table grapes is one of the most important fruit produced in Egypt, second only to citrus in terms of
production quantities. Grape cultivation is spread geographically from Alexandria in the north to Aswan
in the south, which – combined with the production of early and late ripening grapes – enables the
prolonged availability of fresh table grapes in the market from May to November. In MY 2020/2021,
commercial table grape production in Egypt is forecast to reach 1.42 MMT while exports are estimated
to reach 170,000 MT in MY 2020/2021. The European Union remains the major importer of Egyptian
table grapes.
Production:
Commercial table grape production in Egypt is forecast to reach 1.42 MMT in MY 2020/2021 (October September), a 2.5 percent increase over the previous year. Favorable weather conditions, new
technologies, and growing demand are driving this rise in production. Grapevines are among the most
suitable fruit crops for sandy soils and newly reclaimed land, as well as for the older Egyptian land
traditionally farmed next to the Nile river. For this reason, cultivated areas of table grapes exist across
the country. Estimates of table grapes production in Egypt represents only the commercial use, and there
is no non-commercial production.
Table grapes is second only to citrus in terms of production quantities in Egypt. Grape cultivation is
spread geographically from Alexandria in the north to Aswan in the south, which – combined with the
production of early and late ripening grapes – enables the prolonged availability of fresh table grapes in
the market from May to November. Yet two areas in particular – Behira and El-Sadat – represent the
overwhelming majority of grape exports to the European Union, Egypt’s largest table grape market.
Behira represents about 40 percent of the total planted area of grapes in Egypt and 18 percent of total
production. Climate conditions, types of soil, and production technology are the main factors that give
table grapes the ability to be grown all over Egypt.
Harvesting season in Egypt for early grape varieties begins in late May and ends in September.
Harvesting for late varieties begins in late June and ends by November. The Thompson and Flame
seedless varieties dominates production as it remains popular in the EU market, the major importer of
Egyptian grapes (see Figure 1). However, producers are expanding toward higher value varieties to
supply other markets and meet the evolving palate of consumer tastes worldwide. The most popular of
these other varieties includes Early Superior, Superior, and Roomy.
Trade:
FAS Cairo forecasts exports to reach 170,000 MT in MY 2020/2021, 13 percent higher than the
previous year. The United Kingdom was the top export destination in CY 2019, accounting for 23
percent of total exports. Other important markets are the Netherlands, Russia, and Germany with 21, 12,
and 6 percent of the export market share, respectively. Fresh table grapes are one of the top produce
exports by value for Egypt with 2020 export value expected to reach $250 million (see Figure 3). In
2020, grape prices in the export market averaged $1,700/MT.
Egypt imports very few quantities of table grapes. In MY 2020/2021, imports are expected to remain
low at 120,000 MT, a slight decrease from previous year at 125,000 MT. Egypt mainly imports table
grapes from South Africa, Spain, Australia, Italy, and few quantities from the United States. Typically,
the imports would cover the window where there is no domestic production. The imported table grapes
are usually sold at very high prices at specialty retail stores.