Egyptian citrus season calendar: when to book what, month by month.
Most first-time buyers of Egyptian citrus under-book their Navel window by six weeks and over-book Valencia by two. This is a compact working calendar from the AFRICAFRESH EXPORT sourcing desk: which cultivar peaks when, where the shoulder weeks hide, and how to structure a 12-month programme that doesn't drop out of supply between March and October.
The 12-month view
"Peak" windows in the table below are when AFRICAFRESH EXPORT can reliably commit weekly 40ft reefer volumes at contract pricing. "Shoulder" is when supply is available but caliber distribution narrows and price firms. Blank weeks mean the variety is out of season.
| Variety | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navel | ||||||||||||
| Valencia | ||||||||||||
| Baladi | ||||||||||||
| Sukkari | ||||||||||||
| Mandarins | ||||||||||||
| Lemons | ||||||||||||
| Grapefruits |
Variety-by-variety notes
Navel Oranges (Nov–Apr peak)
Egyptian Navel drops onto the market in mid-to-late November. The first 6 weeks of the season (mid-Nov to end-Dec) are the window European and Central Asian buyers most often underestimate — early Navel arrives in smaller caliber and slightly lower Brix, but for buyers who want to pre-empt the Moroccan early crop and lock shelf space before Christmas, it is the most important booking window. Main peak runs Dec–Feb; late-Navel extends to early April.
Valencia Oranges (Apr–Jul peak)
The late-season counterpart. Most European buyers over-book Valencia weeks 18–24 expecting it to bridge straight into Southern-Hemisphere supply, but Valencia peak ends around week 28 — there's a hard 3-week gap before Argentine / South African Valencia arrives in North European ports. Build your programme with Argentine arrival dates, not Egyptian loading dates, in mind.
Mandarins (Oct–Mar peak)
Egyptian mandarins run three sub-windows by cultivar: Fremont opens the season in October, Minneola takes over December–January, Murcott runs late, February into March. A full-season mandarin programme needs all three cultivars locked together. Book by end-August for the coming season.
Lemons (year-round, peak Nov–Mar)
Egyptian Eureka (locally Adalia) is available essentially year-round, but the high-acidity commercially attractive window is November to March. Summer lemons exist but are more variable in caliber and acidity. European and GCC buyers typically contract January–March for year-round delivery with price-adjustment clauses for the summer shoulder.
Grapefruits — Star Ruby (Nov–Apr peak)
Short window, firm pricing. Book by September for the coming season. Japanese and German buyers dominate volumes; GCC demand is smaller but consistent. Best caliber 27–36 count per 15 kg carton; 40+ count carries a price reduction typical of the second-half of the season.
Baladi & Sukkari (Dec–Feb peak)
Specialty cultivars. Volume is small relative to Navel but both command a price premium in GCC and Central Asian retail. Sukkari is particularly in demand for Ramadan and Eid promotional windows; book 4–5 months ahead.
How to structure a 12-month citrus programme
- November — Wake up and buy Navel early. Early Navel is under-booked. A weekly 40ft reefer for 6 weeks from mid-November gets you on shelf before Moroccan early crop and holds your category margin.
- December–February — Main season. Stack Navel + Mandarins + Grapefruits + Lemons + Baladi/Sukkari. Peak variety overlap enables mixed-SKU consolidation. European retailers typically commit full-container per SKU per week; GCC buyers more often use half-container consolidation.
- March — Navel trails off; Mandarins close. Transition week. Push Valencia shoulder, prep for Valencia peak.
- April–June — Valencia peak. Juice processors take most volume; retail share peaks in May.
- July–September — The gap. No Egyptian citrus during these three months for most lines; Argentine / South African / Peruvian supply fills. This is when AFRICAFRESH EXPORT buyers typically rotate to Egyptian summer lines (mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, Barhi dates) — see the related catalogues.
- October — Mandarin season opens; Baladi/Sukkari return. Plan the December L/C now.