Egyptian strawberries

Saudi Arabia is set to revoke its ban on imports of Egyptian strawberries and peppers, according to reports in the Egyptian press.

Egypt’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture Safwat al-Haddad said the announcement that the ban would be lifted would be made “within days” following meetings between officials from the two countries.

Saudi Arabia imposed the ban on a number of Egyptian crops, including strawberries, peppers and guava last year after a high proportion of imports were found to contain pesticide residue levels that exceeded international safety standards.

Since then, Egypt has tightened up its export controls following a major review of safety standards.

Arab markets account for more than 45 per cent of Egyptian agricultural exports.