Egyptian Strategy for Developing Dates Sector
The Palm tree is considered the tree of life and is the source of livelihood for many nations, especially in Arab countries.
Despite Egypt’s high rank in terms of date production that amounts to more than 2 million tons, almost 22% of the world production estimated at 8 million tons, its export contribution to the international Dates market is low. This can be explained in the context of several factors related to the date value chain starting from date palm planting to manufacturing, packaging, and distribution processes designed for local markets or for exportation.
The national strategy aims to raise date exports from 38,000 tons in 2016 to 120 thousand tons over the next five years, raising the average export price from USD 1,000 per ton in 2016 to USD 1,500 per ton. This achievement comes as a result of the development efforts made to promote this sector. Other objectives of the above-mentioned strategy include an increase in financial resources in foreign currency of the general state budget of USD 40 million in 2016 to reach USD 180 million, as well as improve local marketing of frozen, fresh and manufactured dates. Moreover, this strategy aims at raising the value of unprocessed dates exports; benefiting from secondary products, date palm residues; maximizing the added value; revitalizing a large industrial sector that depends on palms (Debs – Vinegar – Alcohol – Handicrafts); and creating new job opportunities as a result of the recovery of the dates sector in terms of production, packaging, manufacturing and marketing.
The future of date palm cultivation in Egypt
Egypt ranked number one top producing country, with a total of 2 million and 298 thousand tons, an increase of 100% overproduction in 1993, revealing that Egypt produces the equivalent of 22% of the total world production, and about 25% of the production of Arab countries, followed by Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq, while ours does not exceed 3% of date production.
