Kenya’s mango exports to the Middle East are facing hefty competition from Egyptian growers.
The obstacle, according to market watchers, is because of the low cost of shipping from Cairo to Dubai and Qatar.
These are quite advantageous when compared with high cost that Kenyan exporters have to incur.
Egypt also is closer to Middle-Eastern countries, where Kenya is at the moment exporting the bulk of its mangoes, enjoys low cost of exporting the commodity.
Egypt has the advantage of the sea, which makes the cost cheaper, when compared with Kenya which has to export by air for the fruits to arrive when they are still fresh.
Exports of mangoes from Kenya to Mombasa by sea take at least eight days to arrive, making it difficult to ship through the Port of Mombasa because of the long duration.
Almost 90 percent of the Kenyan fruits are exported by air, making them expensive in the middle-east.
