Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk has announced the official opening of the Venezuelan market to Egypt’s fresh pomegranate exports – a step expected to boost export activity and diversify destination markets to enhance export sustainability.
Farouk received a joint report from Ahmed Azzam, Head of the Agricultural Services and Follow-up Sector, and Mohamed El-Mansy, Head of the Central Administration of Agricultural Quarantine, outlining the efforts of the Agricultural Quarantine Authority in conducting technical negotiations with various countries. These discussions focused particularly on the phytosanitary requirements for exporting fresh pomegranates from Egypt to Venezuela.
According to the report, the Venezuelan authorities have sent an official letter confirming the opening of their market to Egyptian pomegranates without imposing additional phytosanitary conditions. This development represents a significant success for the Agricultural Quarantine Authority, contributing to Egypt’s ongoing efforts to diversify its export portfolio in terms of both products and global markets.
The Minister affirmed that the opening of the Venezuelan market marks an important step within the ministry’s broader strategy to expand access for Egyptian agricultural products, in line with the directives of the political leadership to support the national economy and strengthen foreign currency inflows.
He added that this achievement is primarily the result of the dedicated work of the Egyptian Agricultural Quarantine Authority and the ministry’s technical departments – including the Department of External Agricultural Relations and accredited reference laboratories – as well as the commitment of producers to international phytosanitary standards and quality control. These combined efforts, he said, have earned Egyptian agricultural exports strong confidence in global markets.
Farouk concluded that the ministry will continue to work towards expanding the number of international markets open to Egyptian agricultural products, in cooperation with farmers and exporters, to preserve the strong reputation of Egyptian produce and maximise the benefits of the significant growth in agricultural production driven by major national projects.
