The 9th edition of Food Africa, Fresh Africa, and Pac Process exhibitions kicked off on December 3, 2024, at the Egypt International Exhibitions Center, running until December 5. Covering 45,000 square meters, the event hosts 1,018 companies from 39 countries, including Germany, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, India, Poland, and Russia, with Turkey as the guest of honor, according to Egypt Today.
The exhibitions, held under the patronage of Egypt’s Ministries of Investment and Foreign Trade, Industry, and Supply, spotlight sectors such as food industries, agricultural products, packaging, dates, and food processing machinery.
Hassan El-Khatib, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, underscored the country’s commitment to expanding its export portfolio. He noted that food industry exports reached $4.6 billion by the end of September 2024, an 18% increase from $3.9 billion during the same period in 2023. The largest importers of Egyptian food products are Arab countries, followed by the European Union, non-Arab African nations, and the United States.
Top importing countries include Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Palestine, Libya, the Netherlands, Jordan, Morocco, and Spain. Leading exports during this period included beverage concentrates, flour, frozen strawberries, sugar, juices, cooking oils, biscuits, grains, frozen vegetables, table olives, and frozen potatoes.
El-Khatib highlighted the importance of increasing agricultural exports to African markets, which currently account for only 2% of Egypt’s total agricultural exports. In the 2023/2024 season, 125,000 tons of agricultural products valued at $80 million were exported to Africa. Overall, Egypt exported 7.1 million tons of agricultural goods worth $4.1 billion in the first ten months of 2024, with citrus fruits leading at 2.3 million tons, maintaining Egypt’s position as the world’s top orange exporter.
The minister announced several initiatives to enhance agricultural exports, including the European Union’s decision to ease pesticide residue checks on Egyptian citrus and a new joint ministerial system for the production, inspection, and export of high-quality Egyptian potatoes in compliance with international standards.
Additionally, El-Khatib highlighted the launch of a new roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) maritime transport line between Egypt’s Damietta Port and Italy’s Trieste Port. Operating weekly with an initial capacity of 70 refrigerated and 70 dry trucks, the service offers competitive advantages for Egyptian exports to European markets.
This initiative aligns with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s vision of positioning Egypt as a regional logistics and trade hub, while opening new export markets in Europe as part of the country’s national export strategy.
