EU reduces inspection rates on Egyptian grapes

The European Union has agreed to remove Egyptian grapes from its list of high-risk crops and lower inspection rates to below 20%, Agriculture Products Export Council (APEC) Chairman Ali Issa tells Al Shorouk. The decision, which has yet to be formalized, will pass inspection costs onto the importer and comes at Egypt’s requests to the EU to reassess the quality of its exported produce. The Agriculture Ministry has been developing a strategy to boost the quality of Egyptian exports that appears to be paying dividends. A number of Gulf states lifted earlier this week temporary bans on Egyptian produce including strawberries and peppers.