Egypt opens four new markets for oranges, grapes, strawberry seedlings in Central America

CAIRO – 18 May 2026: Egypt has successfully opened four new markets for oranges, grapes, and strawberry seedlings in Peru, Panama, and Mexico, announced Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation said in a statement on Monday that the move comes in line with the political leadership’s directives to expand national exports and secure new sources of foreign currency revenue.

The minister received an official report from Ahmed Rizk, Head of the Agricultural Services Sector, confirming the success of the Central Administration for Agricultural Quarantine in concluding technical negotiations with the agricultural quarantine authorities in the three countries, paving the way for Egyptian agricultural products to enter these markets.

According to Mohamed El-Mansy, Peru has opened its market to Egyptian orange exports, while Panama has approved imports of Egyptian grapes and strawberry seedlings. Mexico has also opened its market to Egyptian strawberry seedlings.

El-Mansy added that the Central Administration for Agricultural Quarantine is finalizing the executive procedures required before exports officially begin. He noted that the Ministry has already received the technical requirements from the importing countries and is currently circulating them through technical bulletins while informing exporters of the relevant regulations and standards.

The ministry emphasized that these developments build on the growing global demand for Egyptian agricultural products, which continue to gain wider access to international markets due to their high quality and compliance with international phytosanitary standards.

Egypt aims to increase its food exports to $14 billion in 2026, representing a 25 percent increase compared to the previous year, Farouk said during a seminar titled “Egypt’s Agricultural Strategy in the Face of Current Challenges,” organized by the Canadian Business Council on April 6.

Farouk noted that Egypt’s fresh agricultural exports reached approximately $4.96 billion last year, while processed food exports totaled around $6.89 billion.