Moldovan grape producers discussing possibilities of exports to Poland

A group of 10 producers and exporters of table grapes from the Republic of Moldova have been participating in a business-to-business (B2B) event organised by the Bronisze fruit and vegetable wholesale market in Poland from 14 to 16 November. During the event, Moldovan entrepreneurs have been holding meetings with importers and supermarket chains in Poland interested in importing grapes produced in Moldova.

Polish importers are mostly interested in having a steady supply, a high quality product according to international standards, competitive prices and availability of storage, sorting and packaging infrastructure. The meetings held in Bronisze have served to find out about the available grape supply and the export conditions in Poland. In recent years, experts have witnessed an increase in table grape exports to the European Union, including Poland. According to the data available, Moldova exported about 98 tonnes of grapes to Poland in 2016, while in the first 10 months of 2017 this figure already reached 595 tonnes, with an average export price of US$ 0.87 per kilo. Also, Moldova has asked the European Union to increase the import quota of fresh grapes from Moldova to 25,000 tonnes. As a result of the expansion in the acreage, the total grape harvest volume in the Republic of Moldova doubled in the period from 2006 to 2016, exceeding 100 thousand tonnes in 2016. At the same time, about 60,000 tonnes of grapes are exported annually. Moldovan grapes are mainly exported to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania and Iraq.