Recently a delegation of Polish and Austrian fruit and vegetable importers visited the orchards in the south of France at the invitation of Saint-Charles Export. In this way it is hoped to increase the export to Europe and the logistic and trade capacities to strengthen the export to the east of Europe.
In 2011 the French trading balance showed a heavy loss of 70 billion Euro. The delegation also visited a warehouse in Perpignan, where trade and logistics of all producers in the region come together in order to export the fruit and vegetables in the best condition. Karl Josef Ischia, director of the Austrian company Ischia, was happy with the invitation. "It is always impressive to view the skill of companies in terms of trading and safety in situ. They have lots of material strengthening their activity. The warehouse in Perpignan is a basis for us for the international trade and the control of French, Moroccan and Spanish products. I hope shortly via Saint-Charles to import summer fruit from Languedoc-Roussillon, which is very competitive in price with Italy at the moment. He expects the quality of taste of the French fruit to fill an open space on the Austrian market.
Agrolians is part of the Polish delegation. Agrolians, which export to Scandinavia and the former Eastern Block countries said as a result of this visit they would like to deal in French peaches. Bury Trade as well, which now import 5 or 6 lorries daily with peaches and nectarines from Spain. 90% of the products of Bury Trade are traded in the former Eastern Block countries, such as Ukraine and Russia. Only vegetables are being obtained from France, but it appears that this will change now.
It is not the first time that a delegation of buyers and traders has visited the Southern French orchards. Every year Saint-Charles Export invite, in cooperation with UBIFRANCE, buyers of the large distribution and foreign importers of fruit and vegetables to discover the summer fruit from the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Rhône Alpes.