Egypt Reports $852 Million in Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Exports

Egypt’s exports of medicinal and aromatic plants, including dried herbs and essential oils, reached $852 million in 2025. Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk announced the figures on Saturday at the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Festival in Cairo, noting a significant increase from previous years.

Key Takeaways

• Export growth: Revenue from medicinal and aromatic products rose to $852 million in 2025, up from roughly $400 million in prior periods.
• Sector scale: Cultivation of these crops spans approximately 80,000 feddans across the country.
• High export volume: Producers currently export nearly 85% of the total output for specific dried-herb crops.
• Strategic shift: The government is prioritizing local processing and extraction to increase the value of agricultural exports.
• New infrastructure: Officials are developing a dedicated service center in Beni Suef to support processing, testing, and quality certification.

Expanding Export Value

Minister Farouk stated that the government intends to transition away from exporting raw agricultural goods. The strategy focuses on encouraging investment in drying, distillation, and the production of essential oils. These processes are intended to create higher value-added products for international markets. Key crops involved in this trade include marjoram, basil, mint, anise, chamomile, fennel, coriander, hibiscus, and jasmine.

To support these goals, the Ministry of Agriculture is working to modernize farming practices. This includes improving water-use efficiency and implementing traceability and certification systems required by international buyers. Farouk emphasized the need for stronger cooperation between farmers, processors, and exporters, advocating for expanded contract farming to better integrate small-scale producers into global value chains.