Logistics disruptions are affecting Moldova's fruit exports to the Middle East and Asia, with producers reporting delays and suspended shipments. Regional markets, including Saudi Arabia, have only recently opened to Moldovan fruit, but current conditions are limiting export flows. Over the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has become the fourth-largest market for Moldovan apples.
Pavel Vieru, export manager at a company operating 100 hectares of apple, plum, and apricot orchards near Coșernița in the Criuleni district, said shipments have been interrupted due to logistics issues. "Problems are severe. Many containers now return, so we halted operations. Transport takes 50 to 60 days to Asia and about 40 days to closer regions, which makes fruit exports nearly impossible," Vieru said.
Nicolae Pascal, another producer exporting to the Middle East, indicated that around 50 per cent of his apple volumes are directed to the region, with approximately 40 per cent going to the European Union and the remainder to CIS countries or the domestic market. "Fruit deliveries to the Middle East still move via land routes through Syria. Prices have not changed much, though logistics and transit issues may arise. Fuel costs affect us more than anything else," Pascal said.
Producers continue to target Middle Eastern markets, particularly for apples, grapes, and plums, although transport conditions remain a constraint. According to Iurie Fală, executive director of Moldova Fruct, alternative routing is being used for distant markets. "We actively develop this promising market for grapes and plums. Military conflicts around us greatly hinder export logistics. We cannot fully cross the Red Sea, so we must reroute through the Strait of Gibraltar to reach distant markets like India," he said.
The European Union remains the main destination for Moldovan fruit, accounting for more than 50 per cent of exports, with Romania as a primary market. At the same time, shipments of apples to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, have increased in recent years despite current logistics constraints.
Source: Radio Moldova
