First hybrid potato trial shows promising results for Egypt and the region

Egypt is gradually becoming one of the fastest growing exporters of potatoes. Many freshly harvested potatoes from this region are imported into the EU in the first months of the year. With a total export of 211.000 tons to the EU by Egypt in the first 4 months of 2023, the country accounts for a large portion of the total imports from non-EU countries, forming an interesting partner for the table market and potato processing industry. (Sources : source 1 and source 2)

In 2023, Solynta’s Business Development Manager Rian Stekelenburg met with Greenbridge Managing Director Omar Doughan for the second year in a row, to start a collaboration on growing potatoes from hybrid true potato Seed (HTPS) in Egypt. Greenbridge is interested in this way of growing potatoes because HTPS can play an essential role in reducing the enormous annual quantities of seed tuber-imports to Egypt. The disadvantages of the existing tuber-based system are the fluctuations in seed tuber quality and uncertainty on receiving the right quantity. 2023 in particular turned out to be a bad year for seed tuber importers. Due to weather conditions in the EU during the growing seasons, yields are low and tubers often not in the right size. Consequences are shortages of available seed tubers and a very high price. Hybrid true potato seed is a good alternative to the reliance on the volatile seed tuber trade in this region.