Egypt is one of the few origins that can ship fresh potatoes in commercial volume during the European and Gulf off-season — which is why Egyptian potatoes wholesale programs anchor so many importers’ winter and spring calendars. But “potatoes” is not a spec. The variety decides everything: whether the tuber fries golden or grey, whether it holds shape in a stew, whether it survives a hot-port discharge. Buy the variety for the use, not the price list.
This guide covers the three names that dominate Egyptian export — Spunta, Cara and Hermes — plus the crop windows, size grades, bag formats and QC points that keep claims off your desk. PEIVANA supplies fresh table and processing potatoes from Alexandria, Damietta and Sokhna, in full loads or alongside onions and citrus in a mixed produce container.
Varieties: Match the Potato to the Use
| Variety | Type | Flesh / skin | Best use | Buyer notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spunta | Fresh table | Light yellow flesh, smooth yellow skin, long-oval | Boiling, general table use, wholesale markets | The classic Egyptian export potato — attractive shape, big volumes, the Gulf and EU favourite |
| Cara | Fresh table | Cream flesh, round, pink eyes | Baking, boiling, foodservice | High yield, robust handling, strong demand in UK-style markets |
| Hermes | Processing | High dry matter, low reducing sugars | Crisps/chips industry | Contracted heavily by snack factories — book early in the window |
| Lady Rosetta | Processing | Round, high dry matter | Crisps | Alternative crisping variety alongside Hermes |
| Diamant / Mondial | Fresh table | Yellow flesh | Table, wholesale | Useful alternatives when Spunta is tight |
Rule of thumb: fresh-market buyers specify Spunta or Cara; snack and fry processors specify Hermes or Lady Rosetta with a dry-matter minimum (typically ≥20–21%) and a fry-colour test.
Sizes & Grades
| Size grade | Diameter | Typical channel |
|---|---|---|
| 35–55 mm | Small-medium | Retail bags, some Gulf preferences |
| 45–75 mm | Medium-large | The standard wholesale export grade |
| 55–75 mm+ | Large | Foodservice, baking programs |
| 40–65 mm round | Processing spec | Crisping factories (variety-dependent) |
Class 1 export potatoes should be clean, firm, well-shaped, free of greening, sprouting, mechanical damage, and soft rot, with soil within tolerance. State your tolerances numerically — e.g. “max 3% greening, max 2% mechanical damage, max 1% rot at loading”.
Spring vs Autumn Crop
Egypt plants two-plus potato crops a year; the two that matter to importers:
- Winter/spring crop (the export flagship): harvested roughly January–June. This is the crop that fills Europe’s off-season gap and the Gulf’s spring demand — freshly dug, thin-skinned early potatoes through to fully matured skins by April–May.
- Autumn crop: harvested October–December, partly from imported seed; serves regional markets and processing, and extends availability toward year-round with storage.
Freshly harvested spring potatoes have delicate skins — for long transits, specify skin-set (matured) lots or accept that early-crop fruit is for fast-turn markets. Align potato windows with the rest of your basket via the Egyptian produce seasons calendar.
Packing Options
| Format | Net weight | Notes for buyers |
|---|---|---|
| PP woven / mesh bag | 25 kg | The standard export unit; ventilated, printable |
| Mesh bag | 5–10 kg | Retail and small-wholesale, often in master units |
| Big bag (jumbo) | 1,000–1,250 kg | Processing plants and repackers — fastest handling, lowest packaging cost |
| Carton | 10–18 kg | Premium washed retail programs |
Washed vs Brushed
Brushed (dry-cleaned) potatoes keep a thin soil film that actually protects the skin — the default for wholesale and long transits. Washed potatoes look brighter on the retail shelf but are more perishable and cost more; they belong in fast retail programs with a solid cold chain. Decide per channel and put it on the PO.
Shipping: ventilated dry containers work for short-medium transits in cool months; reefers at 6–8°C (fresh air open) are the safe call for long routes and warm destinations — never below 4°C for fry-destined lots (cold-induced sweetening darkens fry colour). A 40′ unit carries ~26–28 tonnes in 25 kg bags.
QC Checkpoints Buyers Should Demand
- Pre-shipment inspection with cut-tuber photos: internal defects (hollow heart, internal browning), plus size distribution and defect percentages.
- Brown rot / ring rot certification — Egyptian export potatoes to the EU ship from designated pest-free areas with official testing; ask for the documentation trail.
- Dry matter and fry test (processing lots) — fry-colour photos against your standard.
- Sprout inhibitor declaration where used, MRL-compliant for destination.
- Bag weight and marking check — variety, size grade, lot, packing date matching the phyto.
- Loading conditions — no rain stuffing, ventilation channels documented, temperature setting photographed for reefer loads.
How Potatoes Fit a Mixed Container
Potatoes are, with onions, the natural base cargo of winter mixed loads: dense, robust, price-stable, and happy at citrus set points for reefer shipment. A typical build for a mid-size wholesaler: 10–12 pallets of oranges, 4–6 of onions, 4–6 of potatoes — one container, a full stall’s range. See the winter citrus + onions container guide and the mixed containers cornerstone for build sheets.
FAQ
Which Egyptian potato variety should I order for table use?
Spunta for the classic long-oval yellow table potato with the widest availability; Cara where round, bake-friendly fruit is preferred. Both ship well from February through June.
Can Egypt supply processing potatoes for crisps?
Yes — Hermes and Lady Rosetta are grown specifically for the crisping industry with high dry matter and low sugars. These lots are heavily contracted, so commit early in the season and specify a dry-matter minimum and fry test.
Do Egyptian potatoes need a reefer?
Short transits in cool months can go in ventilated dry containers. For the Gulf summer, long routes or washed product, book a reefer at 6–8°C — the premium is small against the claim risk.
Get a Same-Day Potato Quotation
Send variety, size grade, washed/brushed, bag format and destination — quotation back the same day. PEIVANA is the flexible Egyptian exporter: full loads, mid-size programs and mixed containers from Alexandria, Damietta, Sokhna and Port Said.