Egypt targets sub-Saharan Africa to expand poultry and egg exports

EGYPT is expanding poultry and egg exports to sub-Saharan Africa to address a production surplus. Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk met Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, in Cairo on 27 July to discuss opening the Ugandan market to Egyptian poultry products. Similar discussions with Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry and Egyptian Ambassador Wael Fathy Ahmed took place on 7 July. This aligns with Egypt’s broader strategy to increase agricultural trade with African nations, following talks with Ghana on poultry and animal feed production. Sub-Saharan Africa’s growing demand for animal protein—where many countries rely on imports—drives this initiative. Trade Map data shows Uganda imported poultry meat and live poultry worth nearly US$13 million in 2025, while Ghana spent around US$515 million on poultry imports, making it a key market. Egypt’s poultry industry, the continent’s largest producer, estimated at 2.59 million tonnes of chicken meat in 2024, now produces a surplus of about 20% of national consumption. The General Union of Egyptian Poultry Producers reported daily production of 4.8 million chickens and 1.5 million egg trays, supporting export growth. While Egypt faces competition from Brazil, the US, and the EU, government-backed commercial cooperation aims to secure a larger share of Africa’s growing poultry import market.