Egypt’s potato calendar is built on two crops a year, which gives importers a long, dependable supply window through the first half of the year and — thanks to cold storage — well beyond it. This guide sets out the Egyptian potato export season month by month: the two crops, when each ships, and which markets each window serves, so you can plan volume programs and bookings with confidence.

Egypt’s two potato crops

Understanding the calendar starts with the two planting cycles:

• Winter (Nili) crop — the export backbone. Planted from around mid-August to October, harvested from roughly late October through February into April. It occupies the largest share of annual production and supplies the bulk of early-year exports.
• Summer (spring / early) crop. Planted around December–January (often from imported European seed) and harvested roughly April to July. It serves early European exports, the domestic market and seed retention for the next winter planting.

Together these crops, grown across the Nile Delta and reclaimed-desert regions, keep Egyptian potatoes available across most of the year.

The Egyptian potato export calendar, month by month

Windows below are typical and shift with seed-import levels, weather and the timing of Europe’s own crop. Confirm the exact program window with your supplier before booking.

Early window (December to February)

The season opens as the winter (Nili) crop is harvested. First shipments head to Arab and Gulf countries around late December, with Russia — the leading volume buyer — coming on stream early in the year. This is a high-volume window: the winter crop is large, and demand is strong wherever other origins are short.

Peak (February to April)

February and March bring peak quality, and this is when the European window opens. EU buyers typically import Egyptian potatoes from late February through May to bridge the gap until their own early crop is ready, since stored European potatoes lose quality over time. For an importer, this is the prime period for both quality and choice, with Russia, the EU, the UK and the Gulf all active.

Late season and storage (May to October)

From May the summer crop carries supply, and once the fresh season winds down in June, cold storage extends shipments into around October. Volumes ease compared with the peak, but storage keeps Egypt in the market for Gulf and Asian buyers who want supply later in the year.

How the calendar fits importer planning

• Big-volume programs: anchor on the winter (Nili) crop, January–April, when supply and quality are strongest.
• EU retail: plan around the late-February-to-May window when Egyptian fruit bridges the European gap.
• Extended supply: use cold-storage availability to keep Gulf and Asian programs running into autumn.
• Book early: seed-import levels set each season’s volume, so confirm allocations ahead of the peak.

What can shift the Egyptian potato calendar

Several factors move the windows year to year. Seed-import levels are the biggest single indicator — lower imported seed compresses the summer crop and tightens late-season supply. Weather affects timing and sizing, the timing of Europe’s own harvest changes when EU demand for Egyptian potatoes starts and ends, and regional logistics can reshape Gulf flows. Cold storage smooths all of this by extending availability past the fresh harvest.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Industry trade reporting (FreshPlaza, PotatoPro) — Egyptian winter/summer crop timing, export windows and destination markets (2025–2026).
• PotatoPro / sector overviews — the two-season production cycle and growing regions.
• Agronomy sources — Nili (winter) and summer planting and harvest dates.

This page is part of our Egyptian Potato Export Guide hub.

Plan your Egyptian potato program with PEI Trade. We supply across the winter and summer crops and from cold storage — to Russian, EU, UK, Gulf and Asian buyers — with GLOBALG.A.P. handling, brown-rot-free sourcing and full documentation. Contact: sales@peitrade.com · WhatsApp +20 109 911 1918 · www.peitrade.com