aried between E1100 and E1600 per tonne. The trade always maintained that a new source of origin would have to sustain a quality equal to that of the American product consistently for five years in order to merit parity in price 1986, one of the more consistent Eastern European suppliers, ungary,was selling at E1294 nne,against the USA at E1344. france, lolland, Germany, Yugoslavia and Turkey moved up into this price category, ranging from E1210 tof1400 per tonne. Admittedly, the total tonnage shipped from these five countries combined only equalled the tonnage from the USA but the levelling up of the prices on the world market indicates that there has been an improved consistency in the quality of the onions from these European and Eastern countries, which augers well for the potential for growth here. egypt almost equalled the American tonnage in 1986 as indicated in TABLE 1. 1 but the average price was only f908 per tonne from the author s considerable experience of the dehydration industry in Egypt, the considered opinion is that many of the old established State controlled factories are suffering from the aforementioned lack of investment in new plant, and the restructuring of the factories has not been given much priority, in view of demands on the countrys reserves of hard currency for more pressing developments The most encouraging development in Egypt is, of course, the facility to operate in the private sector-an initiative promoted by the late President Sadat. The quality of the Egyptian onion crop is excellent, as the export trade in raw onions has been of paramount importance for many years, and it is scrupulously controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture. With the advent of Privatisation therefore, the potential for developing the dehydrated onion industry on higher quality levels is favourable. With the excellent raw material grown in the Nile valley, the only ingredient needed is an infusion of capital for new plant suited to the prevailing conditions in Egypt. It would not be inopportune for the major European buyers of dehydrated onions to regularly visit and monitor the factories engaged in the not inconsiderable export business, so that they could assist the management in achieving that extra element of quality which would bring the industry up a level that would ensure better stability, in world price terms The method of restructuring and re-investing must be sensibly undertaken. An old friend of the author, who is intimately connected with the Freezing Industry in the USA, and has spent many years advising the Indian shrimp packers on how they can up-date their factories to meet USDA Food Laws applying to importations into America, made a wise comment about throwing out old plant. His comment was "The job ahead is tovaried between €1100 and E1600 per tonne. The trade always maintained that a new source of origin would have to sustain a quality equal to that of the American product consistently for five years in order to merit parity in price. In 1986, one of the more consistent Eastern European suppliers, Hungary, was selling at €1294 per tonne, against the USA at €1344. France, Holland, Germany, Yugoslavia and Turkey moved up into this price category, ranging from €1210 to E1400 per tonne. Admittedly, the total tonnage shipped from these five countries combined only equalled the tonnage from the USA but the levelling up of the prices on the world market indicates that there has been an improved consistency in the quality of the onions from these European and Eastern countries, which augers well for the potential for growth here. Egypt almost equalled the American tonnage in 1986 as indicated in TABLE 1.1 but the average price was only €908 per tonne. From the author’s considerable experience of the dehydration industry in Egypt, the considered opinion is that many of the old established State controlled factories are suffering from the aforementioned lack of investment in new plant, and the restructuring of the factories has not been given much priority, in view of demands on the country’s reserves of hard currency for more pressing developments. The most encouraging development in Egypt is, of course, the facility to operate in the private sector - an initiative promoted by the late President Sadat. The quality of the Egyptian onion crop is excellent, as the export trade in raw onions has been of paramount importance for many years, and it is scrupulously controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture. With the advent of privatisation therefore, the potential for developing the dehydrated onion industry on higher quality levels is favourable. With the excellent raw material grown in the Nile valley, the only ingredient needed is an infusion of capital for new plant suited to the prevailing conditions in Egypt. It would not be inopportune for the major European buyers of dehydrated onions to regularly visit and monitor the factories engaged in the not inconsiderable export business, so that they could assist the management in achieving that extra element of quality which would bring the industry up a level that would ensure better stability, in world price terms. The method of restructuring and re-investing must be sensibly undertaken. An old friend of the author, who is intimately connected with the Freezing Industry in the USA, and has spent many years advising the Indian shrimp packers on how they can up-date their factories to meet USDA Food Laws applying to importations into America, made a wise comment about throwing out old plant. His comment was ’The job ahead is to 14