The pomegranate season is in full swing, but for the very first time in Egypt, the export of pomegranates is limited to the farms that have been certified by the government. This ‘coding’ of farms should guarantee the quality and the expertise of the growers. According to May Salem from FinBi this is a very good development for the future of Egyptian pomegranates.
The pomegranate season started a little earlier than normal this year. The wonderful variety, which would normally be harvested near the end of September, is being harvested right now. This could be due to the warm weather that Egypt has seen over the past couple of weeks.
Bigger news for Egypt is the government decision to start coding the pomegranates farms: “Only good farms that do not use hazardous pesticides are given the coding.”
May Salem of Finbi explains: “Without the coding, farms are not allowed to export their pomegranates across the world. This way importers of the Egyptian pomegranates will have a guarantee that the product is of good quality and that the growers have the expertise and experience growing the pomegranate. Some growers think this isn’t good for the industry, but I disagree.”
The required coding for exports brings new opportunities to the certified growers, according to Salem. Exporters that can’t reach their markets any longer leave gaps that need to be filled. Companies like FinBi aim to jump in and supply these markets with their pomegranates: “The pomegranate is growing in popularity in Asia, Canada and parts of Europe. Countries like Saudi Arabia and specifically Iraq are ordering huge volumes, as they process the pomegranates to add value to the product. Singapore are also ordering FinBi’s pomegranates, the awareness of the pomegranate and their health benefits is growing. We’re trying to inform the consumer that the pomegranate is helpful in preventing and treating various diseases like high blood pressure and even some forms of cancer, like lung, breast and prostate cancer! These benefits are hardly known locally and we’re doing everything we can to raise awareness.”
Salem suggests that the fruit is the number one antioxidant, which means the fruit can also be stored for a long time. “In Egypt we’re studying how we can get even more out of this special fruit. Pomegranate can be processed into over 1,000 products, including fresh arils, juices, molasses, concentrates, jams and jellies, grenadine, animal food, confectionery, aril seed powder and oil for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Within this product segment, juice represents by far the most important single product.
The main producers of pomegranate concentrate are Juhayna and Al Shams, who we work with to supply them pomegranates,” Salem continues. “Of course we have a lot of competition from Spain and Turkey, but the Egyptian pomegranate is on the rise. The fact that it can be shipped to countries that are far away from us, even if that shipping takes 21 days, is a huge plus. It means we can reach distant markets and even expand the season by cold storing the pomegranates. For instance, somebody who wants these fruits in February can now be supplied by us.”
