Added Value and the Most Important Problems of Strawberry Marketing in Egypt

The agricultural sector is considered one of the fundamental pillars of Egypt’s national economic structure. This research aims to develop a mechanism for enhancing the marketing efficiency of Egyptian strawberries. The study relied primarily on primary data as its main source. The research findings revealed that the cultivated area of strawberries in Egypt reached its peak at 58.3 thousand acres in 2023, with an average yield of 16.5 tons per acre. The average production cost per acre was approximately EGP 76.000. A study of the geographical distribution showed that Nubaria ranked first in Egypt in terms of strawberry cultivation, with an average cultivated area of about 10.5 thousand acres. Through a value chain analysis of Egyptian strawberries during the 2023/2024 season, it was found that the net return could reach EGP 280.900 per acre after sorting and packing. The total cost per acre for that season was approximately EGP 76115.85. The high cost is attributed to several factors, the most significant being the high price of strawberry seedlings from a trusted source, which represented the highest cost item, accounting for about 26.9% of the average cost components—approximately EGP 20496 per acre. Labor costs came next due to the need for skilled labor for strawberry cultivation, amounting to EGP 15,000 per acre and representing around 19.7% of the average cost components during the 2023/2024 agricultural season. In contrast, the cost of organic manure was the lowest, amounting to EGP 1350 per acre, representing only 1.8% of the average costs. The results also indicate that the average cost of plastic used for tunnels and mulch was approximately EGP 4473.53 per acre, with the possibility of reusing some of it in upcoming seasons.
Furthermore, the average yield per acre of strawberries during the 2023/2024 season was around 20 tons, with a farm gate price of approximately EGP 10000 per ton, resulting in total revenue of about EGP 200000 per acre.