El-Gazayerli: “Chamber of Food Industries” A Strategic Partner in Supporting National Industry and Enhancing Egyptian Product Competitiveness
Eng. Ashraf El-Gazayerli, Chairman of the Board: A 4-Year Strategy Aims to Double Sector Exports and Expand the Exporter Base
Promising Opportunities to Shift from Raw Export to Agricultural Processing Following the Success of Frozen Strawberries and Vegetables
The Chamber of Food Industries at the Federation of Egyptian Industries operates as a strategic partner in supporting the national industry and enhancing its competitiveness. This is achieved through close cooperation with relevant government entities such as the Ministries of Industry, Investment, Supply, and Agriculture, the Food Industries Export Council, and the National Food Safety Authority. Adherence to food safety requirements and international standards is considered the fundamental gateway to strengthening global market trust in Egyptian food products and boosting exports.
Eng. Ashraf El-Gazayerli, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Food Industries, stated that the Chamber plays an integrated legislative and technical role aimed at helping companies comply with regulatory requirements, simplifying procedures, and turning quality commitment into a real competitive advantage. Participation in major international exhibitions like “Gulfood” is a central pillar in the Chamber’s strategy to open horizons for commercial partnerships and stay abreast of the latest global trends in manufacturing, packaging, and supply chains.
As the Chamber’s Chairman, El-Gazayerli, reviewed the achievements of 2025, which included enhancing capacity-building programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), facilitating compliance with international quality standards, expanding participation in exhibitions, and launching the “Ezdihar” (Prosperity) program to support entrepreneurs. He announced the Chamber’s strategy for the next four years, which aligns with the state’s policy to promote local industry and exports.
He added that the Chamber works on contributing to the development of legislation and organizing events like the “Egypt Food” conference to enhance cooperation with the government, the business community, and the private sector, and to put forward practical recommendations for promoting investment and achieving sustainable growth for the Egyptian food sector.
Supporting and Enabling SMEs to Integrate into the Export Ecosystem through Specialized Programs.
El-Gazayerli revealed a key challenge: a significant portion of Egyptian exports is concentrated in a limited number of companies, since the number of actual exporting establishments among the Chamber’s members remains limited. The Chamber’s strategy targets not only increasing export value but fundamentally works on expanding the base of exporting companies, especially SMEs, considering this the real guarantee for sustainable growth.
El-Gazayerli confirmed that the Chamber’s strategy for the next four years aligns with the Egyptian state’s policy in promoting local industry and building export capabilities to open new horizons for national partnerships and enhance the national industry’s ability to compete locally and internationally. This will be achieved by raising the efficiency of existing companies and enabling them technically and administratively to access global markets.
He added that the Chamber attaches great importance to institutional integration with The Food Industries Export Council through a cooperation protocol aimed at unifying the vision between industry and export. This directly links member manufacturers with opportunities to access foreign markets, whether through trade missions, international exhibitions, or export qualification programs, developing clear export roadmaps, and providing technical support. The Chamber also works on removing non-productive obstacles for exporters through coordination with government agencies to simplify procedures.
He pointed out that the Chamber’s strategy aims to double exports by: deepening local manufacturing and increasing added value, supporting integration between agriculture and industry (especially in frozen products like strawberries, vegetables, and potatoes) to maximize added value, enhancing commitment to Food safety standards, developing legislation, expanding international participation, and introducing digital transformation and modern technology to improve efficiency.
He highlighted that, according to data from the Export Council and the General Authority for Export and Import Control, frozen strawberries topped the list of exported food commodities with a value of $672 million, compared to about $370 million during the same period in 2024, achieving a record growth rate of 81%. This growth is driven by expanding demand in European and American markets and the adoption of the Egyptian product as a key source in global supply chains.
Institutional Integration and International Exhibition Participation: Key Pillars for Opening New Markets and Building Sustainable Partnerships
He noted that Egyptian exports of frozen vegetables have seen continuous growth, with an annual value ranging between $400 and $500 million, driven by increased demand in EU, Eastern European, and some Asian markets. There are also promising opportunities for frozen potato exports, which range between $200 and $300 million annually, with significant expansion potential given the available agricultural capabilities. The Chamber is working on diversifying export markets by expanding into Africa, East Asia, and Latin America, in addition to Europe and America.
El-Gazayerli emphasized that the frozen products sector represents a real opportunity to transform Egypt into a regional hub for export-oriented agricultural processing.
He stressed the necessity of continuing integration between the Government and the private sector, supporting and entrepreneurs, and establishing supportive policies to achieve the ambition of doubling food sector exports in the coming years and strengthening Egypt’s presence in global markets.
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