At a vast grape farm in Sadat City of Menoufia province, north of Cairo, dozens of well-trained workers carefully harvested clusters of grapes dangling beneath the green leaves.
Grapes, one of the most widely grown fruit crops in Egypt begins the harvest season in May through September.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the cultivation of the table grape is spread geographically from Alexandria in the north to Aswan in the south.
In recent years, Egypt had witnessed a notable increase in growing and exporting table grapes as the global demand for the fruit had increased remarkably.
“We have punctually and reliably exported the table grapes to Europe since 2002, Mohammed Mostafa, technical manager of a family-owned company that specializes in growing and exporting fruits and vegetables stated.
He noted that his company exports 3,000-3,500 tons of table grapes to Europe annually.
Currently, the grape-growing area in Egypt is about 200,000 feddans (840 square kilometres), with a total production of about 1.7 million tons per year, according to official data.
Despite the coronavirus-caused crisis, Egypt’s grape exports during 2020 amounted to 139,059 tons.
Grape exports in Egypt hit 18,106 tons from January to the end of May this year, compared to 16,187 tons during the corresponding period of last year, an increase of over 10 per cent, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.
Mostafa, one of the first exporters who took the lead in the grape production said that “we have an organic approach towards all our production, our farms are located in diverse places in Egypt to guarantee the best climate and continuous supply to our clients and European partners,” Mostafa told Xinhua.
He added that the government has been supporting grape growers which in turn increased the number of fruits exported.
The increase of grape farms in Egypt has become a source of livelihood and stable income for hundreds of workers who live in the villages.
