Carrot acreage decreases in Egypt due to declining European demand

Egyptian exports of carrots to the European Union have increased significantly in just a few years, from 4,000 tons in 2020 to 19,000 tons in 2023, making Egypt the third-largest supplier of carrots to the European Union. This sharp increase in European carrot imports can be attributed to the energy crisis stemming from the outbreak of war in Eastern Europe, as carrots are highly energy-intensive during post-harvest and storage operations.

Currently, according to several Egyptian exporters, European demand for Egyptian carrots appears to have declined. Waleed Menasy, commercial director at Elwaha Export and exporter of carrots from Egypt to Europe, says: "The economic climate has affected demand in almost all European countries, with the exception of Romania, where demand for Egyptian carrots has remained solid. Last season was particularly slow, and important volumes remained in storage in Europe as well as Egypt."

The decline in demand has led to a drop in production in Egypt, according to the exporter. He adds, "Production had increased in recent years to take advantage of demand, and has fallen as remarkably as it had risen. At Elwaha Export, we have halved our carrot acreage between last season and this season, and the same is true for all exporting growers."