Egypt could lose $200 million as a result of banned potato exports

The head of the agricultural committee in the general export department of the trade chambers' union, Osama Khir El-Din, warned today of the consequences of implementing the resolution of the European Union to prevent the export of Egyptian potatoes to European markets, saying that losses in the potato exporting sector would reach at least $200 million, in addition to putting 150,000 workers out of work.

He stated that Egypt will build stations for grading potatoes through private sector investments reaching $250 million.

Khir El-Din confirmed that the rate of brown fungi in Egyptian potatoes doesn't exceed 2%, while the number of cargoes that were refused was less than 5%.

He added that Egypt has exported 160,000 tons of potatoes to Europe this year, an increase of 30,000 tons over last year, without any quality problems arising.