Date Fruit Suppliers and Exporters

The date fruit has an important part in Islamic faith. Packed in minerals, fibers, and vitamins, dates are conventionally served as a pre-dawn meal for the Muslims; they also break their fast at sunset every day during the holy month of Ramadan to regain their lost energy.

The sweet-smelling date fruits are grown mainly in North Africa and the Middle East, and the many varieties play a real part in the economy of the countries that produce them. In 2016 the global trade in dates, fresh or dried, reached $1.4 billion — a five-fold rise since 2001. Between 2012 and 2016 it grew about 14% a year on average.

Date fruit suppliers and exporters work the crop for better returns, and can deal straight with the growers. The exporter selects the dates before harvest, during plant processing; the chosen fruit then goes to the packing plant and is packed into boxes of different sizes. Each box is reopened and checked for crushed or uneven fruit, so nothing damaged slips through before delivery.

Popular date varieties among buyers include Piarom Dates, Barhi Dates, Medjool Dates, Deglet Noor Dates, Rabbi Dates, Halawy Dates, Dayri Dates, Thoory Dates, Mazafati Dates, Sayer Dates, Khudri Dates, Zahidi Dates, Safawi Dates, and Sukkari Dates.

Buyers and date fruit exporters need to know the types of dates they are buying, because not all dates are the same. They should also be able to tell synthetic dates from the real ones. Some companies sell fake dates and mislead buyers, and fake fruit will never give the benefits people look for in dates.

Until the source of the dates is tested and confirmed, buyers should not order in large quantity. It pays to know the other options a supplier can offer as well.

Many of these companies sell their harvest two ways, loose and canned. Smaller exporters who cannot afford packaging sell loose or in small cans, while a company that sells canned dates is easier to check for quality.

Dates are sold in plenty of places, online and off. Whether you buy to export or for your own use, know the type and quality before you pay. To get the maximum benefit from dates, the fruit has to be pure and tested.