A new destination is in reach for the apples from Moldova. For the very first shipment to India, more than 100 tons of Moldovan apples were shipped, these apples arrived in early January. Diana Vlasiuc, export market development specialist for Moldova Fruct, states that traders from India have always shows interest in apples from Moldova.
“Only recently has it become possible to establish the first commercial linkages with India. For the first shipment, Red Chief and Gala varieties were shipped from the Romanian port of Constanta to Mumbai and Chennai in around 40 days,” Vlasiuc explains.
“The five containers of apples were shipped by FreshTime and Farm-Prod, two companies with modern orchards supported by high-performance post-harvest infrastructure, such as controlled atmosphere storage and optical apple grading and packing lines. The apple production and post-harvest handling processes of both companies are GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP-certified.”
According to Vlasiuc, Moldova’s apple industry has grown quickly in the past ten years. “Farmers planted larger areas of intensive orchards with varieties in high demand such as Gala, Red Chief, Fuji, Bonita, and Granny Smith, complementing the wide range of traditional varieties. The infrastructure for storage and sorting was upgraded and packaging operations were improved, demonstrating Moldovan growers’ commitment to adapt to the ever-changing realities of the fruit market.”
Moldovan exporters have made efforts in recent years to diversify their markets, and Vlasiuc states that it’s paying off. “Last year, Moldovan apples were exported to 32 countries, up from 18 in 2021. What was once a niche activity for exporters, sending apples to distant markets by sea is now an established practice: more than 5,500 tons of Moldovan apples were shipped to the Gulf region in 2022 alone. Moldova ranked among the top ten apple exporters in the world in 2021, with an average annual production of 550,000 tons and more than 225,000 tons exported.”
For more information:
Moldova Fruct
Email: marketing@moldovafruct.md
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