Short answer: Egyptian garlic exports run March through July, with fresh garlic peaking March–May and cured garlic extending through July. Export grades range from 45mm to 65mm+ bulb diameter, packed in 20kg cartons, 10kg cartons, or retail nets. Egypt’s Upper Egypt corridor (Minya, Sohag, Beni Suef) produces white softneck varieties that ship ambient to Gulf, African, and European destinations.

Cairo Fields at a glance

Crop	Egyptian white garlic (softneck)
Markets served	Gulf, East Africa, West Africa, Europe
Buyer type	Wholesale, food service, processing, retail
Packaging supported	20kg cartons, 10kg cartons, 5kg nets, 1kg nets, 500g plaits, custom
Documents supported	Phytosanitary, EUR.1, SFDA, certificate of origin, fumigation
Shipment model	FOB Alexandria — ambient ventilated containers
Ready to source?	Request a Quote →

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Cairo Fields supports international buyers sourcing Egyptian garlic through crop availability planning, grower coordination, packing supervision, export documentation, and shipment readiness for Gulf, African, and European markets.

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Egyptian garlic is one of the crops where buyers know exactly what they want — variety, size, packaging, and delivery window — before they start looking for a supplier. The search is specification-driven, and the decision comes down to whether an exporter can consistently hit those specs load after load.

This guide covers the full specification set: when Egyptian garlic is available, how it is graded, what packaging formats exist, what quality standards apply, and which documents you need by destination.

Egyptian garlic export season

Egypt’s garlic harvest begins in late February in Upper Egypt’s warmer growing areas and continues through March. The export window runs:

• March – May: Fresh garlic, recently harvested and cured. Peak availability and widest size selection.
• May – July: Dried and fully cured garlic. Still high quality, longer shelf life, well-suited to longer transit times.
• July – August (limited): Storage garlic for buyers who need to extend supply past the main window.

The practical implication: if your program needs fresh garlic with shorter curing, target ETDs in March–April. If your buyer can accept fully cured bulbs, the window extends comfortably through July.

Egyptian garlic is a single-crop annual — there is no second harvest. Forward planning matters more here than with year-round crops.

Varieties

Egyptian export garlic is overwhelmingly white softneck (Allium sativum var. sativum). This is the variety international buyers expect when they specify “Egyptian garlic”:

• White garlic — clean white papery skin, 10–15 cloves per bulb, strong pungency, good shelf life. Accounts for 90%+ of Egyptian garlic exports.
• Purple/rose-tinted white — same species, slightly different growing conditions produce a light purple blush on outer wrappers. Available from specific areas, usually at similar pricing.

Egyptian white garlic is a softneck type, meaning it does not have a central woody stem. This makes it suitable for braiding/plaiting for retail presentation and gives it longer natural shelf life than hardneck varieties.

Bulb size grading

Garlic is graded by bulb diameter measured at the widest point. Egyptian export grades:

Grade	Diameter	Typical use
Standard	45–50mm	Wholesale, food service, processing
Grade A	50–55mm	General wholesale, retail (some markets)
Premium	55–60mm	Retail, premium wholesale
Jumbo	60–65mm+	Premium retail, specialty buyers

What most buyers order: The 50–60mm range covers the bulk of wholesale and retail demand. Gulf and African buyers typically specify 45mm+ minimum. European retail buyers often require 55mm+ for shelf presentation.

Size uniformity within a shipment matters as much as absolute size. Specify both the calibre band and the acceptable tolerance (e.g. “55–60mm, max 5% below 55mm”) to avoid disputes on arrival.

Packaging formats

Egyptian garlic ships in several standard formats. The right choice depends on your end channel:

Wholesale and food service

• 20kg cartons — loose bulbs, the standard export format for wholesale redistribution
• 10kg cartons — easier handling, preferred by some food service distributors
• Bulk mesh bags (25–50kg) — for processing buyers who will break down on arrival

Retail-ready

• 5kg mesh/net bags — common for market stalls and smaller retail
• 3kg nets — mid-size retail
• 1kg nets — supermarket shelf-ready
• 500g plaits/braids — decorative, premium retail and food service presentation

Custom options

• Private-label cartons and nets to buyer branding
• Blister packs or flow-wrap for specific retail specifications
• Mixed-weight palletisation to buyer instruction

Packaging note: Garlic ships in ambient (ventilated) containers, not reefer. Packaging must allow airflow — mesh nets and ventilated cartons are standard for this reason.

Quality specifications

Export-grade Egyptian garlic must meet the following parameters:

External quality

• Clean white outer skin, intact papery wrappers
• Firm, compact bulbs — no soft spots or spongy texture
• No sprouting or visible root growth
• No mechanical damage, cuts, or bruising
• No mould, rot, or insect damage
• Bulbs well-filled (minimum 8 cloves per bulb for standard grade)

Curing and moisture

• Properly cured: 14–21 days post-harvest drying
• Neck fully closed and dry
• Moisture content: below 65% (measured at outer wrapper level)
• No condensation or sweat inside packaging

Internal quality

• Cloves firm and plump, not shrivelled
• No internal mould or waxy breakdown
• Strong characteristic garlic aroma (high allicin content — a hallmark of Egyptian varieties)

Grading standards

Egyptian export garlic is graded following UNECE Standard FFV-18 (fresh garlic), which defines:

• Extra Class — superior quality, intact outer skin, no defects
• Class I — good quality, slight skin defects acceptable, firm
• Class II — marketable quality, more cosmetic tolerance

Most export programs target Class I as the baseline, with premium buyers specifying Extra Class.

Shelf life

Properly cured Egyptian white garlic has a natural shelf life of 3–5 months in ambient storage (cool, dry, ventilated). This long shelf life is one reason Egyptian garlic competes well on routes with longer transit times.

Export documentation

Core documents (all destinations)

Every garlic shipment from Egypt ships with:

1. Commercial invoice — value, quantity, Incoterms
2. Packing list — carton count, net/gross weights, palletisation details
3. Phytosanitary certificate — issued by Egypt’s Central Administration for Plant Quarantine (CAPQ)
4. Certificate of origin — issued by the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce
5. Bill of lading — carrier-issued, showing port of loading and discharge

European destinations (additional)

• EUR.1 movement certificate — for preferential tariff treatment under the EU–Egypt Association Agreement
• GlobalG.A.P. certificate — if buyer/retailer requires certified sourcing (arrange pre-season)
• Pesticide residue analysis — MRL compliance per EU Regulation 396/2005
• TRACES notification — advance notification via EU’s TRACES-NT system (importer responsibility, but exporter provides supporting data)

Gulf destinations (additional)

• SFDA product registration (Saudi Arabia) — required for all food imports
• Arabic-language labelling — on retail-packed formats
• Conformity certificate — SASO for Saudi Arabia, ESMA for UAE
• Fumigation certificate — if required by destination (methyl bromide or phosphine, confirm destination regulations)

African destinations (additional)

• KEPHIS compliance (Kenya) — phytosanitary clearance per Kenyan standards
• NAFDAC (Nigeria) — if applicable
• Fumigation certificate — commonly required for sub-Saharan destinations

Key principle: Documentation must be confirmed and prepared before loading. The phytosanitary inspection happens at the packhouse or consolidation point, not at the port. Late document preparation is the single most common cause of shipment delays in garlic exports.

Logistics and shipping

Egyptian garlic ships in 20ft or 40ft ambient containers — refrigeration is not required and can actually damage cured garlic by introducing condensation.

• Container type: Ventilated dry container (not reefer)
• Loading temperature: Ambient, ideally below 25°C at loading
• Stowage: Palletised or floor-loaded depending on buyer preference and destination port handling
• Transit from Alexandria: 3–4 days to Jeddah, 5–6 days to Jebel Ali, 7–10 days to Rotterdam, 12–15 days to Mombasa

Garlic’s tolerance for ambient shipping and long shelf life make it one of the lower-risk produce exports in terms of cold chain requirements — which is part of why it works well for African and South Asian destinations where cold chain reliability at discharge can be uncertain.

Sourcing regions

Cairo Fields sources garlic from Egypt’s primary production corridor in Upper Egypt:

• Minya — largest volume, consistent quality
• Beni Suef — strong output, slightly earlier harvest
• Sohag — established garlic farms, premium sizing
• Qena — southernmost major growing area

These governorates share the conditions that produce quality export garlic: warm days, cool nights during bulbing, low humidity during curing, and established farmer knowledge of export-grade growing practices.

Common buyer mistakes

1. Ordering fresh garlic for long-transit routes. Fresh (recently cured) garlic ships well to Gulf ports (3–5 days), but buyers targeting East Africa or Europe (12–16 days) should specify fully dried/cured garlic to avoid moisture issues in transit.

2. Not specifying size tolerance. Requesting “55mm+” without stating an acceptable percentage below the threshold leads to disputes on arrival. Always state the calibre band AND the tolerance (e.g. “55–60mm, max 5% below 55mm”).

3. Requesting reefer containers. Garlic ships ambient in ventilated containers. Reefer introduces condensation that promotes mould — the opposite of what buyers want.

4. Late-season spot buying. Garlic is a single-crop annual. Buyers who wait until May to source find limited size selection and higher prices. Pre-season commitment (January–February) secures the best calibres.

5. Ignoring curing time in ETD planning. Pushing for the earliest possible ETD after harvest means under-cured garlic with open necks and high moisture. Factor 14–21 days of curing into your timeline.

6. Assuming one documentation set fits all destinations. Gulf, European, and African requirements differ significantly. Confirm destination-specific documents at inquiry stage, not after packing.

How to request garlic availability and pricing

To get an accurate response, include:

1. Size grade — e.g. 50–55mm, or 55mm+ minimum
2. Packaging format — 20kg carton, 10kg carton, 5kg nets, 1kg nets, etc.
3. Quality class — Extra Class, Class I, or processing grade
4. Volume — per shipment and total season requirement
5. Destination country and port
6. Target ETD — which determines whether fresh or cured garlic is available
7. Any certification requirements — GlobalG.A.P., organic, specific MRL panels

Garlic programs work best when specification is agreed before the season starts. Pre-season commitment allows sourcing from the right farms at the right sizes, rather than competing for spot availability mid-season.

Full product detail is on the Egyptian garlic page.

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Request Garlic Availability & Export Pricing → — send your size, packaging, destination, and volume, and we will respond with current-season availability and FOB pricing.