Moldova’s participation in the specialized fair Indagra Food 2016 in Bucharest reaps a rich harvest for local fruits’ producers.

The Ionextrans LLC from Ialoveni rayon sent on 16 October 2017 the first truck of fresh fruits to the Auchan Retail Romania trade network. This delivery is the result of the joint efforts undertaken by the members of “Moldova Fruct” Association and UNDP Moldova for diversifying the export markets and buyers’ categories for Moldovan fruits.

In autumn 2016, over 10 fruit producers and exporters from “Moldova Fruct” Association participated with a common stand in the Indagra Food exhibition, with the support provided by the Romanian Government and UNDP Moldova. The interaction with the French distributor representatives, established during that fair, continued with visits to the Association’s orchards and packing facilities.

“We aim to increasing every year our share on alternative export markets, and this season we succeeded to export on the EU market. It is an ambitious path, but unavoidable, and the first success brings more confidence in the quality of Moldovan products and their value at the global level”, states Ion Ionas, Director of Ionextrans SRL.

The first fresh grapes and plums appeared on the shops’ shelves at the end of October 2017. The companies plan to extend their cooperation for new types of fruits as well.

Auchan Retail Romania has 33 shops of hypermarket format and intends to open several hundreds of convenience stores. This category of shops will sell new categories of products, among which sliced fruits’ snacks – a segment in which the Moldovan fruits’ producers already have some experience.

"The development of the fresh fruits’ sector, which is one of the most dynamic one, contributes substantially to local development, both with new jobs and additional investments in exploring modern technologies. Diversification of export markets for local production is a key priority for this sector’s development. The current business pattern of the best performing producers is focused on harnessing the new markets’ opportunities, as well as on continuous development of the innovation segment", mentioned Dumitru Vasilescu, Project Manager at UNDP Moldova.

The participation in the 2016 edition of Indagra Food Exhibition was supported by the “Innovative business development for local sustainable economic growth” UNDP Moldova’s Project, financed by the Romanian Government, so as the members of the “Moldova Fruct” Association.