If this forecast is realized, it would translate into an increase of 1,150,000 tonnes in the volume of oranges processed compared to the previous campaign, reaching 4,550,000 tonnes, or about 12% of the expected local production of 3.7 million tonnes.In Egypt, the use of oranges by the processing sector for the production of fruit juice or juice concentrates is expected to increase by 50% during the 2024/2025 marketing campaign.Orange production in Egypt is mainly intended for export. The world's second-largest exporter of the fruit after Spain is now strengthening its position in the processing segment.To explain these growth prospects, the US Department of Agriculture points to the surge in orange juice sales prices on the international market, particularly due to a decline in supply from Brazil, the world's largest producer, and an increase in demand in the United States, which is of interest to the Egyptian industry.Data compiled on the New York Intercontinental Exchange shows that the benchmark price of the commodity rose by nearly 50% over the entire year 2024, closing at $497.5 per pound on December 31, or approximately $1,096.80 per kilogram.Overall, the increase in orange processing represents an opportunity for the Egyptian industry to increase its export earnings. In 2023, the country had earned over $41.5 million from its fruit juice exports in 2023.In October 2024, the Egyptian government approved the creation of a special economic zone dedicated to citrus processing in the Port Said industrial zone at a total cost of $10 million, with the ambition of producing 202,500 tons of concentrate per season during the project's first phase of development.

Christelle koambi