Strawberry imports: Egyptian expansion squeezes EU producers

The biggest change was brought about by Egypt: production expanded by more than 150% in ten years, partly relying on modern greenhouse technologies, and Egyptian strawberries have now become a regular feature of the EU’s seasonal supply. Meanwhile, the EU has seen an overall decline of more than 10% over the past decade; the leading producing countries (Spain, Poland, the Netherlands) remain dominant, but are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with cheaper imports.

The analysis also draws attention to the fact that it is not only Egypt that is under pressure: Turkey and Serbia are also increasingly strong suppliers on the EU market, often out of season, chilled or processed at competitive prices. According to MAGOSZ, in order to address the situation, the EU must protect producers more effectively against unfair competition.