EGYPT · AGRICULTURE EXPORTS
Key Facts
- What is happening Egypt’s agriculture minister says exports of dried herbs, plant extracts and oils reached about US$852 million in 2025; the period is unconfirmed.
- Why it matters Egypt’s herbs and oils go into medicine, food and cosmetics, so the figure matters to US wellness buyers.
- The numbers Earlier years brought about US$400 million; the crops cover about 80,000 feddans (83,000 acres).
- Who is who Alaa Farouk is Egypt’s agriculture minister; Germany’s development agency GIZ supports the sector festival where he spoke.
- What to watch Whether Egypt publishes a customs breakdown by product and buyer country, and whether processing centres open.
- What it means for you The ministry has not said how much goes to the US, so US buyers cannot yet gauge Egypt’s role.
Egypt says it earned about US$852 million from medicinal and aromatic plant exports. The government now wants to process more of the crop at home.
Egypt’s agriculture minister, Alaa Farouk, says exports of medicinal and aromatic plants and related products reached about US$852 million in 2025. That is more than double the roughly US$400 million he gave for earlier years.
For US readers, the crops behind the figure include mint, chamomile, fennel and hibiscus, staples of herbal teas and wellness products. The ministry did not say how much of the total goes to the United States.
What the Minister Announced
Farouk gave the figure on Saturday, 31 October, at a sector event with more than 80 farmers, processors, exporters and investors. The Food Industries Chamber, a business group inside the Federation of Egyptian Industries, cited the same total at the October 2025 festival.
Because the same total was already quoted a year earlier, the 2025 label cannot be confirmed independently. The figure is best read as the government’s claim.
The total covers dried herbs, extracts and oils. The comparison with about US$400 million refers to “previous years”, and the ministry did not say which years.
GIZ, Germany’s development agency, supports the event. Egypt’s agriculture ministry organises it with farmers and exporters.
Crops, Land and Exports
Farouk said medicinal and aromatic crops grow on about 80,000 feddans across Egypt. A feddan is an Egyptian land unit of about 1.04 acres, so that is roughly 83,000 acres.
The crops include marjoram, basil, mint, anise, chamomile, fennel, coriander, hibiscus and jasmine. Producers also make aromatic oils and extracts from them.
He added that about 85% of the output of some crops, in dried-herb form, is exported. The statement did not say which crops.
Why Egypt Wants to Process More at Home
Farouk said the government wants to move beyond raw farm exports into drying, extraction, distillation and essential oils. He also named better water use, product safety, traceability and certification as goals.
Manal Awad, the local development and environment minister, said the government is building a service centre at Samasta in Beni Suef governorate. The UN Development Programme and the European Union are partners.
Awad said the centre will have sterilisation and processing units, residue-testing services, and advice and marketing support. Residue tests check herbs for traces of pesticides.
What It Means for You
US importers of herbal teas, supplements and cosmetic oils get a clearer sense of Egypt’s scale as a supplier. Buyer countries and product splits are not published, so the US share is unknown.
Related Rio Times reports include Egypt Raises Interest Rates to 20% and The Egypt Diaspora in the United States Explained. More coverage sits on the Egypt hub.
What Is Not Known
The years behind the roughly US$400 million comparison are not stated, and the 2025 label itself is unconfirmed. No breakdown by product, by buyer country or by customs data has been published.
The date and venue of the event where the minister spoke are not confirmed. The opening date of the Samasta centre has not been announced.
What Comes Next
The next step is the service centre at Samasta and any rules that tie farmers to processors through contract farming. No opening date has been given.
The figure is described as a 2025 total, not a forecast for 2026. It also does not show profit, only the value of goods shipped.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Egypt earn from herb and plant exports in 2025?
The agriculture minister says about US$852 million from medicinal and aromatic plants and related products. That covers dried herbs, extracts and oils.
Which plants does Egypt export?
The crops include marjoram, basil, mint, anise, chamomile, fennel, coriander, hibiscus and jasmine. Producers also export aromatic oils and extracts.
How big is the growing area?
About 80,000 feddans, or roughly 83,000 acres, according to the minister. A feddan is an Egyptian land unit of about 1.04 acres.
Does the figure show how much the United States buys?
The ministry has not published buyer countries or a product split. The US share is therefore unknown.
Sources: Federation of Egyptian Industries, Egypt; GIZ, German development agency, Egypt programme; Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt, remarks by the minister of 31 October 2026 (all accessed 1 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief