Egyptian Potatoes Exporter Guide: Potatoes, Onions and Garlic Seasons

For importers looking for an Egyptian potatoes exporter, Egypt is one of the most important winter and spring suppliers in the world. In 2025 the country exported 1.3 million tons of potatoes, its second-largest fresh export after citrus, alongside 288,000 tons of onions¹. Garlic is the fast riser: Egyptian garlic shipments to the EU nearly doubled in 2025⁷. This guide covers when each crop is available, where it goes, the plant-health rules that matter most (especially the EU's revised regime for Egyptian ware potatoes), and how to qualify a supplier.

The three crops at a glance

Potatoes, onions and garlic share the same logistics, packhouses and buyers, but they behave very differently as export products.

Egypt's agricultural exports overall reached 9.5 million tons and $11.5 billion in 2025, so these three crops are part of a broad and growing fresh-produce base¹.

Potatoes: early crop, big volumes, strict EU rules

Season and varieties

Egyptian potatoes are available fresh from January to June, and cold storage extends supply to around October³. European demand is strongest from February to May, when the continent's stored crop runs low². Egypt supplies table potatoes as well as varieties for French fries and crisps; exporters currently highlight Lady Rosetta and Hermes for the chips and semi-fried segment²³.

Markets and outlook

Of the 1.3 million tons exported in 2025, about 350,000 tons went to Russia, 330,000 tons to Europe and 315,000 tons to Arab countries². For 2026, exporters expected a lower total of 1.1–1.2 million tons because seed imports were deliberately cut, reducing planted area². The sector is putting more weight on processing and on reducing storage losses, which had reached as much as 25% in the past². Demand for frozen potato products is rising, particularly from new processing plants in the Gulf².

EU plant-health rules: what changed in 2025

Potato brown rot (Ralstonia solanacearum) is a Union quarantine pest, and the EU has long allowed Egyptian ware potatoes only from designated pest-free areas. After repeated detections and an audit in January 2024 that found control gaps, the EU replaced the old rules with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1289, which applies from 23 July 2025 to 30 November 2029⁴. Its key points:

• Egypt's plant protection organisation must submit approved lists of production sites, exporters and packing stations no later than 30 November before each export season⁴.
• A representative sample of 200 tubers per lot (lots of at most 27.5 tons) must be cut-inspected and laboratory tested for brown rot before export⁴.
• Packages must carry a clearly visible, officially sealed label with the production-site code and the words "not for planting"⁴.
• The phytosanitary certificate must state the lot number, production-site code and packing station⁴.
• From 1 December 2028, potatoes must come from sites with clean survey results across the production year and the three preceding years, including negative tests of irrigation water⁴.

For EU buyers, this makes the production-site code the single most important document on a potato shipment. Ask for it before you confirm the order, not after loading.

Onions: strong supply, volatile policy

Egyptian red and yellow onions are valued for quality and shelf life. In 2026 exporters reported excellent quality across both colours, but demand fell short of expectations, especially from Europe⁵. Arab markets led, with Saudi Arabia the top buyer, while European sales were concentrated on core buyers in the Netherlands and the UK⁵. Exports totalled about 85,000 tons in the first half of 2026, compared with a 2020–2024 average of roughly 200,000 tons a year⁵.

Buyers should factor in policy risk. In late 2023 Egypt suspended onion exports to calm local prices; the ban was extended to 31 March 2024 and lifted on 1 April 2024⁶. The government has since been working to open new markets, with Costa Rica one of the recent openings⁸, and exporters added Pakistan, Vietnam and Uruguay in 2026⁵. If you rely on Egyptian onions for a fixed programme, include a force-majeure clause that covers export restrictions and keep a second origin qualified.

Practical points for onion contracts:

• Specify colour, size grade in millimetres, dry-matter expectations, skin quality and bag type and weight.
• Agree whether fruit comes from the field or from cold storage. Exports from cold storage continue after the main season ends⁵.
• Check that the packhouse and farms are registered for export, and request the phytosanitary certificate draft before loading.

Garlic: the fast-growing newcomer

Egypt became the EU's second-largest garlic supplier after China in 2025, with shipments rising to 19,555 tons from about 9,655 tons in 2024⁷. Exports to Italy rose 55% to record levels, and shipments to Spain grew nearly fivefold in the first eight months of 2025⁷. Egyptian garlic reaches Europe ahead of the local harvest, and Spanish producers reported an average price of about €1.5 per kg, €0.20 lower than a year earlier⁷.

That success has prompted a reaction. Spanish growers have asked the EU to review its trade arrangements with Egypt and to assess safeguard clauses⁷. Buyers should watch for any change in EU tariff treatment and confirm the duty position with their customs broker before contracting.

Season calendar summary

How Egypt Rise helps buyers source vegetables

Egypt Rise is a free, bilingual B2B platform where Egyptian farms, packhouses and cold stores publish export catalogues with HS codes, minimum order quantities, capacity, certificates and accepted Incoterms. Buyers contact suppliers directly, with no commission.

• Browse farms and packhouses and cold stores by governorate.
• Search the product catalogue for potatoes (HS 0701.90), onions (HS 0703.10) and garlic (HS 0703.20).
• For documents, payment and inspection steps, read our buyer's guide to importing from Egypt.

Supplier listings are self-declared. Confirm registrations, site codes and certificates with the relevant authorities before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

When are Egyptian potatoes available?

Fresh Egyptian potatoes are harvested and shipped from January to June, with stored potatoes available until around October³. European demand is strongest from February to May².

Can Egyptian potatoes be imported into the EU?

Yes, but only under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1289: from approved production sites, with pre-export brown-rot testing of each lot and sealed labels showing the production-site code⁴.

Does Egypt still restrict onion exports?

The export ban introduced in late 2023 ended on 1 April 2024⁶. Egyptian onions have been exported since then, but buyers should still include export-restriction risk in contracts.

How big is Egypt in garlic?

Egypt was the EU's second-largest garlic supplier in 2025, shipping 19,555 tons⁷.

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This article is general information for buyers, not legal or regulatory advice. Phytosanitary rules, tariffs and export policies change; always check the current requirements with the official authorities in Egypt and in your market before contracting.