Last week, the Worldfood Warsaw fair took place in Poland. Not many fruit and veg people were available. From the Netherlands, top fruit exporter Jan Oskam was an exhibitor. He was in the Holland Pavilion and describes the event as 'very broad'. "It's a food fair, and not much fresh is presented. You can also see it in the type of visitor. Unfortunately, there was very little interest in fruit and veg. It's not an extremely successful fair, but fortunately we didn't have high expectations and we still managed to get some good contacts," he says.
Difficult season
He notes that there was little news regarding the potato, vegetable and fruit sector. "There were some Polish top fruit companies, but those are mainly focused on the local market. They had a difficult season. The apple market seems to become a bit more lively now by the way, but for many people that's rather on the late side."
Anton Rutten and Kees Oskam in the company of a charming translator at WFWarsaw
He continues: "We know that Poland is a tough competitor when it comes to apples. I was there for the last time ten years ago, and in general good progress is noticeable. They are continuing to evolve and deliver good quality products. Yet, they're less strong in everything that surrounds it, such as packaging and transport. That's noticeable when shipments arrive in our corner of Europe."
Opportunities for pears
Kees actually expects opportunities for pears in Poland. "We definitely don't just see them as a competitor. I think the volume for Conference to Poland will grow more in the coming years. They love our pears. Especially in the second half of the season, they have a shortage, and we are generally still able to supply. In my view, they'll develop into a bigger and a more important market for our Conference than China."
For more information:
Jan Oskam BV
Europaweg 2
3451 HG Vleuten - Holland
Tel: (+31) 30 – 23 20 415
Fax: (+31) 30 – 23 20 422
kees@janoskam.nl
www.janoskam.nl