Brassicas are the least glamorous part of the Egyptian winter offer and one of the most reliable. Cabbage in particular holds well, ships at a low cost per kilo relative to its weight, and gives a mid-size buyer a steady line to sit underneath the higher-value items on a mixed pallet. Cauliflower and broccoli are more delicate and more rewarding, and they need careful handling to arrive worth selling.
The window
Egyptian brassica volume runs from roughly late November through March, with the most consistent supply in January and February. Cabbage carries the widest window and can extend at both ends. Broccoli is the shortest and the most weather-sensitive, because a warm spell in the Delta loosens the head and forces an early cut.
What to specify
White cabbage is usually contracted by head weight, commonly 1.0 to 1.5 kg, 1.5 to 2.5 kg or 2.5 kg and above. Specify whether you want the head field-trimmed, with two or three wrapper leaves left on for protection, or close-trimmed for direct retail presentation. Close trimming looks better and travels worse. Red cabbage follows the same grades at slightly lower head weights.
Cauliflower is specified by head diameter, generally 11 to 14 cm or 14 to 17 cm, with curd colour and compactness the real quality test. Ask for the curd to be white to creamy white and free of ricey or fuzzy texture. Jacket leaves trimmed to just above the curd protect it in transit.
Broccoli is specified by head diameter and stem length, most commonly 10 to 15 cm heads with a stem cut at 15 cm. Bead size should be fine and uniform, and any yellowing at all is a rejection, because it indicates the head was cut late or held warm.
Pack formats and pallet maths
Cabbage ships in open mesh or in 10 kg to 20 kg vented cartons, sometimes loose-packed in bins for processing buyers. Cauliflower travels in single-layer 6 to 8 head cartons, each head individually sleeved or film-wrapped on retail orders. Broccoli goes in 5 kg or 10 kg cartons, either loose with an ice-free wet pack or in 500 g bunched sleeves.
A half Euro pallet of 10 kg cauliflower cartons carries roughly 50 to 60 cartons. A half pallet of cabbage in 20 kg cartons carries around 25 to 30. The weight adds up faster than with fruit, so check the payload effect on your share of the container before committing, using the figures in our note on pallet space planning in an Egyptian mixed reefer.
Temperature and compatibility
Brassicas want the cold end of the range, around 0 to 2 degrees Celsius with very high humidity. That puts them on the same set point as strawberries, herbs and artichoke, and well away from citrus, mango and root crops. They are also highly sensitive to ethylene, which yellows cauliflower curd and broccoli heads quickly, so they must never share a box with ripening fruit. The full compatibility position is in our reference on reefer set point conflicts in mixed containers.
Broccoli respires very fast and generates heat if it is not pre-cooled properly. Ask your supplier to confirm pulp temperature at loading rather than accepting the ambient reading in the cold store.
Shelf life on arrival
Cabbage arriving after a ten day sailing in a correctly held reefer still has two to three weeks of usable life. Cauliflower gives you around a week. Broccoli, realistically, gives three to five days on a sea shipment, which is why most buyers take it on short Mediterranean and Gulf routes or leave it off the list entirely.
Peivana supplies Egyptian cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli in part-loads alongside other winter lines, GLOBALG.A.P and BRC certified, with same-day quotations. Send your grades, pack format and destination on WhatsApp to +20 10 9911 1918.