Egypt is targeting EGP20 billion ($3.6 billion) in food exports by 2013, the daily al-Ahram quoted the chairman of the Food Export Council, a Trade Ministry affiliate, as saying.

'Egypt has promising prospects for increasing food exports, which reached EGP10.8 billion  in 2009, a 10 per cent increase over the previous year,' Monday's paper quoted Hani Berzi as saying.

Berzi was speaking at a conference in Dubai on Sunday.

Dairy products topped the list of Egyptian food exports at EGP1.9 billion in value, it added.

'The food industries sector has drawn up a plan to reach EGP20 billion in exports by 2013. State support and expansion of the agricultural land dedicated to food production will allow this goal to be reached,' al-Ahram quoted Berzi as saying.

Earlier this month, Egypt's trade minister was quoted by state news agency MENA as saying Egypt aims to boost its overall exports to EGP200 billion by 2014 to promote local industry and create more jobs.

The Agriculture Ministry is also working on plans to offer land for agro-business projects to Egyptian and foreign investors.-Reuters