Agri-processing firms flourishing in Egypt

Egypt’s agriculture and agri-processing sector has seen a number of successful investments over the years. How we made it in Africa looks at a few examples

Farm Frites

Established in Denmark in 1971, Farm Frites is a worldwide enterprise and internationally recognised brand producing a wide variety of processed food products.

In 1989, the company expanded its global operations by establishing Farm Frites Egypt as a closed shareholding company. The majority of Farm Frites Egypt’s products, including frozen potatoes, tomatoes, peas, carrots and strawberries, are exported to Europe and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Farm Frites Egypt is a regional force in food production and export.

Sekem

In 1977, Sekem was established on an area of 70 hectares as part of an initiative to produce wholesome foods in a pesticide-free environment. Since 2004, Sekem Holding has been overseeing 70,000 hectares of organic farms across Egypt and the Sudan, and it owns seven different companies, including Isis for Organic Foods.

In 1981, Sekem began exporting its medicinal herbs to the USA, and in 1983 it launched its first product line of herbs and organic foodstuff. In 1988, Libra Company was established, specialising in packing and exporting fresh fruit and vegetables to Europe.

Sekem’s organic products are produced through biodynamic farming and meet ISO 9001-2000 and HACCP quality standards. Sekem Holding cooperates with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and its trading practices conform to the standards of the Fair Trade Federation.

Halwani Bros.

Halwani Brothers Egypt is a leading food manufacturer in both Egypt and the Middle East known for its high-quality processed food products. Established in Saudi Arabia in 1952, Halwani Bros. opened its Egyptian subsidiary in 1970, which currently employs more than 1,000 skilled workers in its factory in Tenth Of Ramadan City in the Greater Cairo area.

Having established itself on the local market, Halwani Bros. now exports to the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa, Japan and the Gulf. The company produces processed meat products, jam, juice, rice and frozen strawberries, with a total annual sales volume of up to US$50 million.

Wadi Food

Since its beginnings as a 30 hectare olive grove in 1986, Wadi Food Industries now has 930 hectares devoted to the production of organic food products, including olive products, sauces, vinegars and fresh produce.

With more than 100 healthy and high-end products, the company is the proud supplier of olive oil and table olives to Egyptian five-star hotels and restaurants. The company has become a leading exporter of olive products to Canada, the USA, Europe and several Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries.

In 2005, the company received the HACCP International Food Certificate for its extra-virgin olive oil, and it received the distinguished Organic Agriculture Certificate, declaring all Wadi Food farms to be fully organic and all Wadi Food products 100% free of fertilisers and pesticides. It has been ISO-certified since 1999.

EgySwiss Foods

Established in 1998, EgySwiss Foods is an Egyptian-Swiss joint stock company that manufactures high-quality processed meats. The company started out by supplying its products to upscale international hotel chains, airlines and restaurants. In 2006, it began targeting the local retail market. EgySwiss Foods currently supplies a wide variety of retail products to select retail outlets including Carrefour and Spinney’s. The company’s factory in the new Bilbais Industrial Zone employs 105 skilled workers under the supervision of the company’s Swiss operations manager.

Also in 2006, EgySwiss Foods began exporting its products, establishing a regular supply line to Jordan, among other countries. It also takes pride in having been the first Egyptian processed foods company to supply an Asian Games event.

The company claims it now supplies its products to over 90% of all five-star hotels in Egypt, including The Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt hotels, as well as to international airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France and EgyptAir.

Source: Egypt General Authority for Investment