Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk co-chaired the maiden meeting of the Potato Export Regulation Committee, with the participation of several exporters. The meeting discussed Ministerial Decree No. 187 of 2024, which regulates the production, inspection, and export of potatoes, ensuring compliance with importing countries' requirements and expanding Egypt's agricultural exports, as per a Cabinet statement. The committee also reviewed the current export season and explored strategies to position Egypt as a leading global potato exporter while maintaining the high quality associated with Egyptian produce. El Khatib emphasised the importance of creating a future vision for the next three to four years to facilitate investment and boost trade with countries worldwide, especially the European Union. Farouk directed officials to study the implementation of a full traceability system for potatoes, covering all stages from seed production to processed products. He also stressed the importance of strict enforcement against malpractice by certain companies that could harm the reputation of Egyptian agricultural exports. Both ministers underlined the necessity of a future strategy to completely eradicate brown rot disease in potatoes in the Delta region, aiming to increase Egypt's export share and boost foreign currency revenues. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
