Thursday March 28th, 2024
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In an Epic Turn-Around, Egyptian Strawberries Deemed the 'Queen of Berries' in the Gulf

After a rocky 2016, it seems that Egyptian strawberry exports have not only recovered, but have shot past the competition.

Staff Writer

The UAE has been flooded by Egyptian Strawberries and they are “all the rage,” as supermarkets in the UAE sell juicy Egyptian berries at rock-bottom rates. While the Middle East has seen a bad season for strawberry production due to the sunny weather, Egypt has been able to outshine the competition, Gulf News Reports.

“Compared to previous years, this year, the strawberry season in Egypt has been good in terms of quality and there has been an oversupply to the UAE,” said Subhash K, head of marketing at Chithrams.

Another reason for the craze for Egyptian strawberry has been their remarkable drop in prices; Egyptian strawberries last year sold at Dh 28-32 a kilo, while this year, they're selling for Dh 10-12.

Due to high costs, strawberries used to be only reserved for the wealthy and affluent of UAE, but since the prices fell to such an extent the, the 'Queen of Berries' has been selling out; one UAE produce vendor states. “Earlier, strawberries were bought only by the rich because they were expensive. Today, it is one of the most affordable fruits which everyone wants to buy.”

This is the first we’ve heard of Egyptian strawberries after the Hepatitis A outbreak in the United States, which was linked back to imported strawberries from Egypt back in August 2016. Since then, Egypt has begun exporting to Europe, Russia, Africa, and the Gulf, while pending approval in the US.