Browse Data and Analysis

In MY 2023/24, the EU is facing a second consecutive short olive oil production crop.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, FAS/Cairo forecasts fresh orange exports to reach 2.0 million metric tons (MMT) up from 1.6 MMT in MY 2022/23.

On December 13, 2023, Chile and the European Union (EU) signed an updated Free Trade Agreement, or Advanced Framework Agreement as it is currently termed. The new agreement expands market access for Chilean products to the European market and grants expansive protections for 216 geographical indications (GIs), including many commonly used names like feta, gruyere, kölsch, and parmesan.

The combination of drought, water irrigation limitations and abnormally high temperatures during flowering and fruit-setting phases have limited the EU’s citrus production potential in MY 2023/24, which is projected to stay at similar levels as the also short MY 2022/23 crop.

Global events have contributed to the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, high inflation, and a lack of foreign currency. Although Egypt had started to recover its tourism industry and economy after COVID-19, the Russian war in Ukraine contributed to a rise in food prices and a lack of forex.

On December 3, 2023, Egypt’s General Organization of Veterinary Services (GOVS) published an official decree (Decision Number 1 2023) in the Egyptian Gazette for registration procedures for companies providing certifications for halal food.

On December 8, 2023, the Government of Egypt filed a seventh addendum to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) – G/TBT/N/EGY/313/Add.7 – extending the requirement for halal certification for imported milk and dairy products until December 31, 2024. This deadline has been extended several times already.

The EU adopted new rules for the labeling of organic pet food in the single market. Pet food can now be labeled with the EU organic production logo if 95 percent of its agricultural ingredients are organic.

The European Commission will allocate €185.9 million (approximately $203.3 million) in 2024 for the promotion of European Union agri-food products.

The EU's intricate biotechnology policy hinders research and restricts innovative tools for farmers. This results in substantial imports of genetically engineered (GE) feed and limited domestic GE crop production.

Extreme weather conditions across the EU reduced grain production projections in MY 2023/24, although production is still anticipated to exceed MY 2022/23 levels. EU grain export expectations have deteriorated based on third country competition in...

The planting of GE crops in Egypt is currently not authorized as there is no biosafety legal framework in place. The absence of a legal biosafety framework impedes field trials and commercialization of GE crops.