The Agriculture Ministry issued new guidelines and procedures yesterday to govern the export of agricultural products to Gulf countries, Ahram Gate reports. The new regulations make it mandatory for exporters to register with the Agriculture Quarantine Authority, submitting all the necessary paperwork and documentation at most 15 days before they ship any cargo. The move aims to help the ministry keep an accurate log of exporters and their products in order to better monitor quality, especially now that Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Jordan all agreed this month to lift bans on Egyptian agricultural imports, like lettuce and onions, that had been put in place due to concerns over excessive pesticide usage. Agriculture Minister Abdel Moneim Al Banna told exporters last week to watch out for the announcement of tighter quality control measures and larger fines for violations. The Trade and Industry Ministry is also working on an export development strategy.

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