Agricultural Investment and Development Company (Mazeed Produce) has been operating in Egypt's agriculture sector since 2008. The company depends on the crops it produces from its 7,000 feddans of farms, 1,000 feddans of which are cultivated. The export sector is one of the main sectors that play an important role in achieving the growth target in the company, and it is one of the most important sources of hard currency necessary for the overall development of the country. The company started to export to Arab countries in 2011, and expanded to Europe and Asia in 2014. The estimated volume of exports during 2019 was $1.1m, and the company projects that to increase 15% this year. Mazeed Produce plans to increase its exports 10-20% yearly by increasing the productivity of its farms in Egypt and by penetrating new markets in Africa, Europe and Asia. Mazeed Produce main production is pomegranates, citrus fruits of all kinds, peaches, grapes and some vegetables. Pomegranate production reached 3,000 tonnes; citrus 1,000 tonnes; grapes 1,100 tonnes; and peaches 500 tonnes. Mazeed's farms are certified and its stations are approved and follow the coding system that has been implemented and regulated by the Agricultural Ministry; it will contribute to tracking shipments from the source, whether they are directed to the local market or are prepared for export, to ensure the quality of agricultural crops in order to preserve reputation, increase the volume of export of agricultural crops, and to provide safe food for customers. Grape production was the highest of the company's exports during the past two years, and it has existing clients/importers with a repeated business and good reputation. The company has also improved the quality of its grapes, which would be better suited to distant markets. Starlight is a red grape that is earlier than Flame. In addition to an extended season, Starlight also provides better characteristics and better sizes than Flame. It is a tougher grape, which makes it better suited for longer shipment, when exporting to distant markets. Mazeed Produce is confidently offering grapes proposals with the best characteristics and prices that compete with Egyptian and international suppliers in 2020. Mazeed Produce recognizes the support of the Agricultural Export Council, which is continuously communicating with exporters to discuss and solve the issues that exporters are facing in daily operation processes and also with all workers in the sector. The council supports exporting companies and encourages them to participate in international exhibitions, an important tool and convenient outlet for exporters.
