The Egyptian government was on the verge of collapse today, as an estimated 1m protesters took to the streets of Cairo and elsewhere, causing the country to grind to a virtual halt.
Produce including berries, citrus and green beans have been left stranded in coldstorage facilities, while harvesting has been abandoned throughout the country.
According to Ahmed El Hodaiby of Egyptian exporter Trade Waves, most roads have been blocked and transportation is currently non-existent.
“Everything has stopped,” he told Fruitnet.com. “There is a curfew before 8am and after 3pm. Since it takes a couple of hours for people to get to work, no one is working today. The banks are all closed. Most of the packhouses are closed. Maersk Line has suspended its operations, which will lead to a lack of shipping availability, and there are big fuel shortages.”
In addition, the reeling government of president Hosni Mubarak has persisted with its block on internet and SMS connections, making communication extremely difficult.
Fruitnet.com's calls to the offices of major Cairo-based exporter Pico Modern Agriculture were unanswered today.
However, a spokesman for exporter Belco confirmed that there was currently no available route to the airport.
“We are trying to find a way to the airport so that we can place our produce in coldstorage and then wait for any plane to export it,” he said.
Exacerbating such difficulties is the uncertainty over how long the current situation will last.
“Things are complicated and nothing is clear,” said Mr El Hodaiby. “At the moment, no one knows when or how this will all end.”
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