Egyptian grapes are preparing for a new season. With the opening of new markets, the product has seen increasing global demand.
Ahead of the start of the season, Dr Mohammed Mansi, Head of the Egyptian Central Administration of Plant Quarantine (CAPQ), received Mr Duncan Macintyre, President of The Breeders Alliance, and representatives of the leading table grape breeding companies.
The two sides acknowledged the importance of grapes as a strategic export crop. In recent years, breeders have introduced many new varieties of high-performance table grapes to Egypt, which are now successfully cultivated by leading Egyptian growers.
These new varieties offer enhancements such as improved productivity and quality, disease resistance, flavor, and texture – all the attributes demanded by today’s international markets.
All these new varieties are protected under the Egyptian Plant Variety Rights legislation. Once again, the CAPQ has confirmed its intention to revoke the export codes of farms or exporters violating these rights.
Both sides agreed that preventing illegal fruit exports from Egypt was far better than intercepting them at the destination market. Nevertheless, Macintyre confirmed that The Breeders’ Alliance will increase its market surveillance activities and work closely with customs authorities in Europe and the UK to prevent the importation of illegal fruit.
CAPQ administers the export coding system under a decree by His Excellency, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. CAPQ staff will take samples from farms suspected of producing these new varieties without a valid license from the breeders. These samples will be DNA tested at the newly established CAPQ laboratory.
The delegation also visited the laboratory at Cairo International Airport and discussed DNA testing technology with the CAPQ lab staff.
