Sound gets around in Egypt: Promising future in Spunta market
Since the first Sound trials in 2017, the variety has developed significantly over the years in Egypt. Its climate adaptability, stress resistance and high yield have certainly not gone unnoticed there. Domiatec Agro Group foresees a bright future for Sound, as substitute for the much requested variety Spunta.
Domiatec Agro Group has been a prominent player in Egypt's agricultural sector for over 40 years. The company, founded by Mohamed El Domiaty, has a primary focus on supplying top-quality seed potatoes to the Egyptian market. “We work closely with both large farms and small growers for this purpose, and provide them with technical advice and direction during the season”, says Dr. Moustafa Abdel-Baki, Agro Director of Domiatec Agro Group. “To serve the growing demand for Egyptian products, we also recently started exporting potatoes to the European market.” In addition, Domiatec offers storage services and manages cultivation practices for a range of crops, like sugar beet, citrus and strawberries.
Growing potatoes in Egypt
Egypt is a major potato producer, with Beheira, Menoufia, Sharqia, Dakahlia, Nubaria, Wadi El-Natrun, and Beni Sue as the main potato-growing areas. The country's favourable climatic conditions, including long sunlight periods and mild winters, allow for multiple planting cycles and almost year-round potato cultivation. But Egypt also faces challenges. Pest and disease pressure, high production costs, water scarcity and the impacts of climate change, contribute to the complexity of growing potatoes. In addition, storage and supply chain problems exist, leading to post-harvest losses. In this challenging situation, Sound emerges as an ideal option because it is known for its resilience and adaptability.
How Sound did get around in Egypt
The first Sound trials in Egypt started in the summer of 2017. Initially, Sound was tested under the coded name CMK2008-622-009, on two different fields with a small number of tubers. “These first trials were focused on its adaptability to Egypt's climate and soil, especially in clay areas like Beheira and sandy areas like Wadi EL-Natron”, he explains. “We immediately had a good impression. After several years of promising results, Sound became a registered variety in Egypt by the end of 2021.”
Sound has already proven to be successful in Egypt. It shows strong performance in various growing regions, even on sandy and reclaimed soils. This season, Sound has been planted in different regions and governorates, like the Delta region (Beheira, Menoufia, Sharqia & Dakahlia) and also desert areas like Ismailiyah and Wadi El-Natron.
Dr. Moustafa Abdel-Baki states: “After many many years of searching for a suitable substitute for the variety Spunta, I dare to say we have found it. Sound offers - besides resilience and adaptability - several advantages, such as higher yields, lower costs due to less added nitrogen, resistance and good storability. This contributes to higher profitability for our growers.”
Future potential of the variety
Sound is now considered a high-potential commercial table potato variety. According to Dr. Moustafa Abdel-Baki, the market response to Sound in Egypt has been increasingly positive. “Particularly among commercial growers who prioritize consistency and quality. Consumers really appreciate the shape, skin color, and its multipurpose use for frying and cooking. Feedback from both domestic and export markets shows that Sound is gaining recognition as a reliable and adaptable variety that meets various market demands.”
Reflecting on Sound's journey, Dr. Moustafa Abdel-Baki looks ahead with excitement: "Starting with a few tubers in 2017, the production has scaled up to significant volume this year. We just finished the second commercial year and still have a long way to go. But we definitely see a promising future for Sound, especially as long as we put effort in it together. We expect Sound to be the leading variety in the market within a short time”, he confidently concludes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sound gets around!
Sound is a resilient potato, thriving in diverse climates and various soil types, with high yields per hectare. Its long oval tubers and light-yellow skin make it perfect for homemade French fries.
- High marketable yield
- Climate adaptive and stress resistance
- Long oval tubers with bright attractive skin
- Multipurpose table potato
Find out more about our robust potato variety Sound 
