This is the position on Egyptian mango as of the week of 21 August 2026, written for buyers who still have September slots to fill.
Varieties and volume
Keitt is the only variety being packed for export at commercial volume. Kent finished in the first half of August and Naomi closed before it, so any offer you receive this week naming Kent or Naomi is either old stock out of cold room or a mislabel worth questioning. Keitt harvest continues in Ismailia, Sharqia and the reclamation areas around the Cairo to Ismailia road, and orchards are now working through the later blocks rather than the main flush.
Volume is running below the first two weeks of August, which is normal for this point in the tail. Packhouses are still filling containers on a two to four day lead time from confirmed order, but the days of same-week loading on any size you name have passed.
The size curve has shifted
The most useful thing to know this week is where the fruit is sizing. The curve has moved down. Counts 7 and 8 in the 4 kg carton, and the equivalent large fruit in the 6 kg format, are tight and priced accordingly. The weight is now in counts 9 to 12. If your programme is built on large fruit for a retail display or a Gulf gift pack, expect a premium and expect partial fills rather than complete pallets to specification.
Buyers who can flex their count are in a much better position for the next three weeks. A wholesale or foodservice channel that takes 10 to 12 will get better fruit at a better price than a buyer holding out for 7. Our note on mango sizing and carton counts sets out what each count suits.
Quality notes
Field heat has been high through the past fortnight, which puts pressure on pre-cooling. Fruit that goes into the container without proper cooling arrives soft regardless of what the reefer was set to. Ask what pulp temperature the fruit was at when the doors closed rather than only what the set point was. We are also seeing more lenticel spotting in the later blocks, cosmetic rather than structural, but it matters if you supply a retailer working to a strict skin specification.
September coverage and freight
Realistically, Keitt loading runs into the middle of September, with the last containers likely in the third week depending on how the late blocks hold. If you need September arrivals in the Gulf, book now: transit is short enough that a first-week-of-September loading still lands in the month. For European and Asian arrivals, September loading means October landing, and you should be looking at the handover rather than at fresh mango. What follows the season is covered in our note on late-season Egyptian mango and planning the handover.
Reefer space out of Alexandria and Damietta is available on the Gulf and Mediterranean services with normal lead times of seven to ten days to cut-off. Longer-haul bookings via transhipment need more notice. Nothing in the current freight picture argues for holding back an order to wait for a better rate.
To check what is actually packable this week against your specification, message the desk on WhatsApp at +20 10 9911 1918 with your count, carton format and destination port.