Polish apples lose their price advantage in the Egyptian market
Polish apple exporters are entering the new season amid high price volatility and uncertainty over the size of the crop. According to Sarafruit Managing Director Mohamed Marawan, conflicting production estimates are complicating sales planning and price formation in export markets.
Some estimates put Poland’s apple crop at 2.6–2.7 mln tons, nearly 30% below last year. However, the Sarafruit representative believes that actual orchard conditions may point to a larger harvest. The differences between crop estimates are contributing to unstable prices.
Egypt remains one of the key markets for Polish apples, but high prices are limiting sales. According to Marawan, apples from Poland, Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey are all present on the country’s wholesale market, but trading activity remains weak due to high prices.
Polish apples have also partly lost their previous price advantage. The Idared variety used to hold a strong position in Egypt thanks to its lower price compared with competing apples, but that gap has narrowed, and some Polish supplies are now being replaced by Italian club varieties.
Exporters are also facing challenges from late spring frosts, summer heat and localized hail, which affected fruit size and quality in some orchards. In the new season, Polish suppliers plan to focus on protecting their positions in existing markets, improving sorting and storage, and optimizing logistics and freight costs.
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