Egypt targets sub-Saharan Africa to expand poultry and egg exports
The country aims to capitalise on rising demand for animal protein across African markets.
EGYPT – Egypt is stepping up efforts to expand its poultry exports into sub-Saharan Africa as the country seeks new markets for surplus chicken meat and eggs produced by its domestic poultry industry.
The latest move saw Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture, Alaa Farouk, meet Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, in Cairo on 27 July to discuss opening the Ugandan market to Egyptian poultry products and eggs.
The discussions form part of Egypt’s wider strategy to increase agricultural trade with African countries following similar talks held earlier this month with Ghana on cooperation in poultry and animal feed production.
On 7 July, officials from Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry met Egyptian Ambassador Wael Fathy Ahmed to examine opportunities for collaboration aimed at strengthening the poultry sector between the two countries.
Egypt’s growing focus on sub-Saharan Africa reflects increasing demand for animal protein across the region, where many countries continue to rely heavily on imported poultry products to meet domestic consumption.
According to Trade Map data, Uganda imported poultry meat and live poultry valued at nearly US$13 million in 2025, while Ghana purchased approximately US$515 million worth of the same products during the year, making it one of West Africa’s largest poultry import markets.
Production surplus drives export strategy
Egypt’s export drive comes as its poultry industry records production levels that exceed domestic requirements, creating an incentive for producers to secure additional overseas markets.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that Egypt would produce about 2.59 million tonnes of chicken meat in 2024, making it the continent’s largest producer.
In January 2026, the General Union of Egyptian Poultry Producers said the country had achieved self-sufficiency in poultry production and was generating a surplus equivalent to around 20% of national consumption.
The organisation estimated that Egyptian producers currently supply about 4.8 million chickens and 1.5 million trays of eggs each day, providing sufficient output to support increased exports.
Industry stakeholders view access to new international markets as increasingly important for maintaining production growth and creating additional demand for surplus output.
Egyptian exporters, however, are expected to face strong competition from established poultry suppliers including Brazil, the United States and the European Union, all of which have well-developed export networks and long-standing trade relationships across African markets.
The government hopes that closer commercial cooperation with African countries will help Egyptian poultry producers secure a larger share of the continent’s growing import market in the coming years.
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