While mango season is at its peak in late July, our citrus and pomegranate desk is already fielding pre-season enquiries for the autumn campaign. Egyptian pomegranate exports run from roughly late August through December, and buyers who confirm programs now are the ones who lock in size grades and shipping slots before the market tightens. This note sets out what to expect for the 2026 season and how to plan a booking.

Varieties and harvest window

Two varieties carry most of Egypt’s export volume. The early type known as 116, or Early Wonderful, opens the season from late August and offers a bright red aril with a balanced sweet-tart profile. The main Wonderful crop follows from October, delivering the deep color, firm arils and shelf life that Gulf and European buyers associate with the category. Manfalouti, a softer sweet variety from Upper Egypt, is available in smaller quantities for niche demand.

Sizing and grading

Pomegranates are graded by count per carton and by fruit diameter. Export counts typically range from 8 to 15 fruit per 4 kg carton, corresponding to large through medium calibers of about 300 to 550 grams each. We grade for color break, skin finish free of sunburn and cracking, and internal maturity checked by sampling. Buyers should tell us their preferred count band up front, since the largest calibers sell quickly to premium Gulf accounts.

Packing and pallet configuration

Standard export packing is the 4 kg open-top carton, single layer, with fruit cupped or nested to prevent bruising. Telescopic cartons and consumer mesh or punnet packs are prepared for retail programs. A 40-foot reefer carries around 20 pallets, with cartons stacked to a stable count that protects the fruit through a three to five week transit. We can label to private specification and include the count, class and lot code on every carton.

Cold chain, ports and certification

Pomegranates ship at 5 to 6 Celsius under controlled humidity. Reefers are pre-cooled and set before stuffing at our packhouse, then loaded at Alexandria, Damietta or Sokhna depending on the destination. The pomegranate program runs under GLOBALG.A.P at farm level with packhouse food-safety certification, and we arrange SGS or Intertek inspection at loading on request. Gulf buyers who also run citrus can plan both categories together, as outlined in our guide to Egyptian orange exports to Saudi Arabia.

Booking the 2026 campaign

Pre-season allocation is open now. Confirming volume and count preferences before the crop peaks gives you first call on the sizes and shipping dates you need, and lets us schedule your loadings alongside other lines such as those in our Egyptian mango export supply guide.

To reserve pomegranate volume for the autumn season, message our export team on WhatsApp at +20 10 9911 1918 with your destination and target counts.