Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan were the three stops on the trip that Renzo Piraccini, president of Macfrut, carried out in the past few days. The purpose of the trip, in addition to presenting the next edition of the fruit and vegetable fair (Rimini, 5-7 May 2019), was to understand the commercial needs of these nations, in order to communicate them to Italian operators. And also, as usual, to visit wholesale markets and supermarkets.
The first stop was Armenia, more precisely the city of Yerevan. Together with Piraccini there was Evgeniya Kravchenko, collaborator of Macfrut for Russia and the Caucasus. Armenia produces 1.7 million tons of fruit and vegetables which is mainly used for domestic consumption and only 10% is exported, mainly to Russia.
Then it was the turn of Tbilisi in Georgia. Here the fruit and vegetable productions are improving, in particular hazelnuts, walnuts, blueberries and table grapes. Here, too, the presentation was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, and Minister of Agriculture Levan Davitashvili, who studied in Italy, confirmed to President Piraccini the Georgian presence at the next Macfrut edition.
Delivery and sale of cabbage in Yerevan's market.
Last stop in Baku, in Azerbaijan - the richest country in the area, a major oil producer and Italy's leading supplier - with a presentation that saw a large presence of operators and associations.
Sale in Yerevan's market.
Azerbaijan produces 2.8 million tons of fruit and vegetables, of which 576,000 tons are exported. In addition to traditional horticultural crops such as potatoes and tomatoes, and fruits such as apples, pomegranate is in great development, intended for both fresh consumption and for juices, as well as cherries.
Large-scale distribution in Tbilisi.
"Thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, - Piraccini states - to the embassies in the Caucasus and to the ICE, we have been able to reach many operators and everything has gone in the best way. I have seen great interest in presentations and meetings and I believe we will have a good number of companies from these countries as exhibitors at the next edition of the fair. The Caucasus area is looking for buyers for their products and shows great interest towards technologies and packaging, in order to improve quality".
