Orange production in Egypt is forecast at 3.6 million metric tons (MMT) in 2022–23, an increase of almost 20% compared to the prior season’s 3 MMT. The increase is attributed to optimal weather conditions and temperatures during flowering of the trees, which increased fruit set. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).
PLANTED AREA
Egypt’s total planted area in oranges is 172,200 hectares, up 4.5% from the prior year. The increase in planted area is attributed to an increase in market demand, export potential and ongoing efforts to replace old orchards with newer trees in the Nile Valley. Most of the area planted with oranges is in desert reclaimed lands, which account for 75% of the total area. Plantations in the Nile Delta region account for 25% of planted area.
Growers prefer to cultivate oranges over other fruit types due to their high export demand and value as well as an established supply chain. That supply chain allows small growers (who would otherwise not have the capacity to export) to capitalize on export markets by selling their crops to larger commercial farms and exporters.
Oranges are the major citrus crop in Egypt, representing about 80% of the total cultivated citrus area. Primary cultivars are navels followed by Valencias.
TRADE
In 2022–23, orange exports are forecast to increase by approximately 30.7% to reach 1.7 MMT. The top 10 export destinations are Russia, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Bangladesh, India, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, China, Malaysia and the Sultanate of Oman.
Orange exports represented 83.2% of total citrus exports in 2021–22. Other exported varieties included tangerines (10%), lemons (5.8%) and grapefruit (1%).
Orange juice exports in 2022 amounted to 2,869 metric tons (MT), compared to 1,897 MT in 2021.
See the full USDA/FAS report on Egyptian citrus here.
Source: USDA FAS