(5 minutes read)
· Egypt is known for its aromatic oil extracts for perfumes. Country’s Gharbiya region contributes over half the global supply of plant based perfumes from Jasmine
· Two countries-Egypt and India- are the leading producers of jasmine extract.
· They make up around 95 percent of global supply, as per the data put out by the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT).
· Egyptian farmers have a grouse that their arch rival – India- drive their prices down through predatory pricing
Egypt is known for its aromatic oil extracts for perfumes. Country’s Gharbiya region contributes over half the global supply of plant based perfumes from Jasmine. Two countries-Egypt and India- are the leading producers of jasmine extract. They make up around 95 percent of global supply, as per the data put out by the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT).
Egyptian farmers have a grouse that their arch rival –India- drive their prices down through predatory pricing. The Southern states in India-Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh -account for most of the production of jasmine in India. Tunisia is also a competitor at a lesser scale.
Close to 70 percent of the region’s floral production is handled by the Fakhry essential oils factory. Jasmine trade is estimated to bring in US$6.5 million annually to Egypt, helping over 50,000 people. Close to 20 tonnes of jasmine flowers are picked daily in Egypt from 400 or hectares of cultivated land Five tones of dense jasmine paste is finally produced each year from the harvested flowers.
The farmers are now complaining that the low production costs of their rival India drive their prices down. They want the government to take concrete steps to address their grievances by offering higher subsidies to cover the price disability they are facing in the international market.
