September 30, 2020

Egypt to resume poultry exports to Middle East after decade-long ban

Egypt is preparing to export poultry in the last quarter of 2020 following a decade-long suspension after the avian flu crisis in 2006, Arab News reported.

Head of the Poultry Division of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce Abdul Aziz Al-Sayed said that a number of Egyptian poultry companies are preparing to export their first shipments to the Saudi market in October. According to him, the Egyptian market had received export requests from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks.

Last week, the UAE said it would allow the resumption of table egg imports from Egypt, and chilled and frozen poultry, after the country adopts a veterinary health certificate. The UAE will also import ducks and live quails if Egypt provides a full list of its poultry farms and facilities.

Nabil Darwish, head of the Egyptian Poultry Producers Association, said that contact was made between the General Authority for Veterinary Services and its counterpart in the UAE last week, and that both sides agreed on a UAE visit to poultry farms in Egypt in preparation for the start of exports.

Darwish added that there are currently about 14 poultry companies allowed to export, including Ismailia Misr Poultry, Alwatania Poultry and Al-Sabeel Poultry.

He stressed that domestic prices would not be affected by the decision, saying that it could attract new investment.

Poultry investments in Egyptian market are worth about 90 billion Egyptian pounds (US$5.7 billion). There are more than 55,000 poultry establishments in the country, employing 2.5 million workers.