Carrot and beetroot are the quiet part of the Egyptian winter programme. They do not attract the attention that citrus or strawberry does, but they load reliably, they hold their condition over a long voyage, and they give a buyer something to put in a mixed reefer that is not going to arrive with a problem. Below is what an importer should be specifying when the enquiry goes out.

Varieties and growing areas

Egyptian export carrot is almost entirely Nantes type, with Chantenay and Kuroda selections grown for markets that want a shorter, thicker root. The Nantes types give the cylindrical shape, blunt tip and smooth shoulder that European and Gulf retail buyers expect. Production sits mainly in Nubaria, Beheira and the reclaimed land west of the Delta, with a second area around Ismailia. Beetroot is grown in the same districts and is dominated by Detroit Dark Red and Bolero type selections, chosen for uniform internal colour and the absence of white ringing.

Size grades and quality

Carrot is sold by diameter and length rather than by piece count. The common export grades are 20 to 30 mm diameter with 15 to 20 cm length for the standard retail grade, and 30 to 45 mm with 18 to 25 cm for the larger catering grade. Buyers who repack into 1 kg consumer bags usually take the narrower grade because it fills the bag more evenly. Beetroot is specified by diameter, normally 40 to 70 mm for retail and 70 to 100 mm for processing and catering.

The defects that get argued over on arrival are forking, green shoulder, growth cracks and surface scarring from the harvester. Specify the tolerance in the contract as a percentage by weight rather than by count, and state whether green shoulder is counted as a defect at all, because practice differs between markets.

Washing, packing and pallet configuration

Almost all export carrot ships washed and hydrocooled. Unwashed field-run carrot is only worth loading where the buyer is processing locally. Standard formats are the 10 kg carton, the 10 kg mesh or polypropylene bag, and 1 kg consumer polybags packed 10 to a carton. Beetroot ships in 10 kg cartons or 20 kg mesh bags, with topped roots as the default unless bunched product is specifically ordered.

On a 100 x 120 cm pallet, 10 kg cartons build at roughly 80 cartons to the pallet, giving 800 kg net, and a 40 foot high cube reefer takes 20 pallets. On mesh bags the figure is lower because the stack is less stable and needs more corner protection.

Cold chain and shipping

Carry carrot at 0 to 1 degrees Celsius with relative humidity held high, around 95 to 98 per cent. Moisture loss is the main cause of arrival complaints, and a carrot that has lost water goes limp and bendy long before it shows any decay. Beetroot travels at 0 to 2 degrees Celsius under the same humidity regime. Keep both away from ethylene producing fruit in a mixed load, since carrot develops a bitter taint when it sits next to apples or melons for a long voyage. Our notes on reefer set points by crop cover the compatibility grid in more detail.

The export window runs from December through to May, with the heaviest volume between January and March. That overlaps the sweet potato window, which is why root crops are so often combined in one booking. Loading is from Alexandria, Damietta and Sokhna, and quotations are issued on FOB, CFR or CIF terms under Incoterms 2020.

Getting a quotation

To price a load we need the variety type, the diameter and length grade, the pack format, the destination port and the Incoterm. Send those five lines and we can come back the same working day. Message the export desk on WhatsApp at +20 10 9911 1918 to open an enquiry for the 2026/2027 winter programme.