certification • EastFruit https://east-fruit.ru/en/ Информация о рынке овощей, фруктов, ягод и орехов Восточной Европы и Центральной Азии Mon, 07 Mar 2022 22:32:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://east-fruit.ru/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cropped-Logosq-32x32.png certification • EastFruit https://east-fruit.ru/en/ 32 32 Is Georgia ready to export blueberries to the EU? https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/is-georgia-ready-to-export-blueberries-to-the-eu/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/is-georgia-ready-to-export-blueberries-to-the-eu/#respond Tue, 08 Mar 2022 04:00:30 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=101112 In 2021, Georgia exported $5 081 000 worth of blueberries to Russia. The 2022 season will start in June, but growers are in a limbo today. The consequences of the war with Ukraine are likely to affect the Russian economy in the coming months. The only way to save this season is to...

Сообщение Is Georgia ready to export blueberries to the EU? появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

In 2021, Georgia exported $5 081 000 worth of blueberries to Russia. The 2022 season will start in June, but growers are in a limbo today. The consequences of the war with Ukraine are likely to affect the Russian economy in the coming months. The only way to save this season is to export to the EU and other developed markets, but is it realistic? Georgia became a producer of blueberries quite recently, but 90% of all export earnings from the sale of blueberries come from the Russian Federation.

Watch: video about the blueberry sector in Georgia

The EastFruit team contacted several blueberry growers in Georgia to find out what their plans are for the season.

Although growers cannot make an accurate forecast, today’s view of the future looks hopeless. Growers are worried that Russian consumers will become poorer due to sanctions, and demand for blueberries will fall, since they are not an essential product.

An alternative to the Russian market is the EU and Gulf countries, but it seems that the industry, with the exception of a few large growers, is not ready to export to these markets without previous experience. Only a few growers are ready to export to the EU this season.

Why haven’t Georgian blueberry producers diversified their export markets so far?

Growers cited several reasons: logistics difficulties, unfavorable payment terms, uncertified production, as well as the ability of local laboratories to check the safety of products.

Logistics

Georgia does not have cargo planes for export to the Gulf countries, although a small volume of blueberries has been exported to Qatar only by passenger airlines in recent seasons. Another hurdle is that since it is not a cargo plane, it does not have the proper facilities, such as temperature control, to carry perishable goods.

Export to the EU countries is carried out by land transport, which is not difficult to organize. The issue is time. If a perishable cargo from Georgia reaches Russia in 3-4 days, then, for example, it needs 9-10 days to reach Germany. Transport time is critical for perishable goods, as more time spent on the road means lower quality and loss for the seller.

Terms of payment

As the growers explained, there are different payment terms in the Russian and European markets. Payment in Russia was made on the spot, while European traders only pay after the sale of goods, which delays payment by weeks, reducing cash flow and increasing risks for sellers. When exporting to EU markets, grower also take on the risks of transportation and defective products, since they will be paid only for commodity volumes.

Certification and laboratory research

Growers without certificates such as GlobalG.A.P. will not be able to export to the EU as this is the first requirement from European customers. Unfortunately, only a few large growers are certified by GlobalG.A.P. in Georgia, while most of the small producers initially set up their business to export to the Russian market, where certification is not required.

In addition to certification, blueberries must be tested for product safety in order to enter developed markets. According to producers, laboratories in Georgia cannot do all the necessary tests.

FCO is one of the few producers that received GlobalG.A.P. certification in 2020. According to FCO spokesman Rati Morchiladze, although it seems that this season will be difficult for most growers, their company plans to sell in Western Europe, as they have already done this last season.

“Last season we exported a small volume of blueberries to Germany. We only managed to export once at the end of the season due to the difficulties we faced. One of the factors that delayed the process was that we had to send samples to Turkey in order to pass all the requested tests. But now we know what needs to be done and how to do it in a short time. This season it should be easier for us to export to Germany. We even found a way to shorten the transportation time. With two drivers driving a truck in turn, it is possible to get to Germany in 5-6 days,” said Morchiladze.

Those who are not yet ready to export to the EU are still hoping that the Russian market will not be completely closed, but they are also considering the worst-case scenario, realizing the need to diversify markets in the future.

Сообщение Is Georgia ready to export blueberries to the EU? появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/is-georgia-ready-to-export-blueberries-to-the-eu/feed/ 0
Around 70% of Moldovan stone fruit exports to the EU were provided by farms with GLOBAL.G.A.P certificates https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/around-70-of-moldovan-stone-fruit-exports-to-the-eu-were-provided-by-farms-with-global-g-a-p-certificates/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/around-70-of-moldovan-stone-fruit-exports-to-the-eu-were-provided-by-farms-with-global-g-a-p-certificates/#respond Tue, 08 Feb 2022 05:04:56 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=99374 According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova (MAIA), about 70% of the commercial volume of stone fruits exported by Moldova to the EU in 2021 was certified with GLOBAL.G.A.P. In total, almost 30 000 tonnes of plums, apricots, cherries and sour cherries were...

Сообщение Around 70% of Moldovan stone fruit exports to the EU were provided by farms with GLOBAL.G.A.P certificates появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova (MAIA), about 70% of the commercial volume of stone fruits exported by Moldova to the EU in 2021 was certified with GLOBAL.G.A.P. In total, almost 30 000 tonnes of plums, apricots, cherries and sour cherries were sent to the EU market last year.

As EastFruit previously reported, more than 100 producers in the horticulture sector of Moldova have valid GLOBAL.G.A.P certificates, 40 have GRASP. According to this indicator, Moldova is ahead of many countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

An expert on food safety systems of the Efficient Agriculture Moldova project, Andrei Cumpanichi, believes that fruit-growing farms certified by GLOBAL.G.A.P exported even more products last year. Some of the fruits were sent to the Russian market, where buyers did not require a mandatory certificate of international safety standards. In addition, some GLOBAL.G.A.P-certified farmers have shipped large volumes of water-cracked plums to Romania for industrial processing. In this case, the GLOBAL.G.AP certificate was not required, too.

Most of Moldovan stone fruits, certified with GLOBAL.G.A.P and GRASP, were sold in European supermarket chains. However, in this case, Moldovan farmers partially had to sacrifice profitability, as they cooperated mainly with European wholesalers who repackaged fruit from Moldova before delivery to chain retailers. However, there were cases of Moldovan agricultural enterprises exporting plums and grapes in consumer packaging directly to European supermarkets in 2021. But there were still few of them.

Andrei Cumpanici believes that the increasing number of fruit farmers receiving or confirming the GLOBAL.G.A.P and GRASP certificates annually will keep contributing to the “premiumization” of Moldovan fruit exports. In his opinion, farmers who have a post-harvest infrastructure and are aimed at direct deliveries to European supermarkets should also work on preparing for ISO 22000, IFS, SMETA certification in the near future.

Сообщение Around 70% of Moldovan stone fruit exports to the EU were provided by farms with GLOBAL.G.A.P certificates появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/around-70-of-moldovan-stone-fruit-exports-to-the-eu-were-provided-by-farms-with-global-g-a-p-certificates/feed/ 0
Lidl to make a revolution in Ukraine’s retail and produce sectors: detailed analysis by EastFruit https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/lidl-to-make-a-revolution-in-ukraines-retail-and-produce-sectors-detailed-analysis-by-eastfruit/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/lidl-to-make-a-revolution-in-ukraines-retail-and-produce-sectors-detailed-analysis-by-eastfruit/#respond Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:25:47 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=89581 The entry of the German retail network Lidl into the Ukrainian market was reported last week in the Ukrainian media, referring to the leak of an internal letter published by Lebensmittel Zeitung. Despite the information not being official yet, EastFruit experts analyzed what this could mean for the Ukrainian retail trade in fruits and...

Сообщение Lidl to make a revolution in Ukraine’s retail and produce sectors: detailed analysis by EastFruit появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

The entry of the German retail network Lidl into the Ukrainian market was reported last week in the Ukrainian media, referring to the leak of an internal letter published by Lebensmittel Zeitung. Despite the information not being official yet, EastFruit experts analyzed what this could mean for the Ukrainian retail trade in fruits and vegetables, for Ukrainian farmers and vegetable growers, and for the retail business in general.

If the Lidl chain enters the retail market of Ukraine, it could become the largest event in the history of the country’s retail. Therefore, we advise you to read this material to the end.

Since EastFruit has been conducting retail audits of fruit and vegetable departments of supermarkets around the world for many years proving that the fresh vegetable and fruit department is the key to overall success in the retail business, we have full information on the positioning of Ukrainian supermarket chains and their ratings by assortment, prices, quality of products, department and service. We’ve also learned a lot about the Lidl model, which is unique in many ways.

An even more detailed and unique analysis of fruit and vegetable retail can also be obtained at the “Retail Forum – 2021” by the APK-Inform project: vegetables and fruits in Kyiv on December 2, 2021.

To begin with, what is Lidl and why should other networks fear such a competitor?

  1. The largest food retailer in Europe and the fifth largest in the world, after four US chains. The Schwarz Group, which owns the Lidl supermarket chain and Kaufland hypermarkets with an annual turnover of 125 billion EUR ($145 billion) and almost 12.9 thousand stores in 33 countries, is the most important player in the market. The turnover of the Schwarz Group supermarket chains almost corresponds to the GDP of Ukraine ($156 billion in 2020)!
  2. In terms of turnover, Schwarz Group is several times superior to international supermarket chains operating in Ukraine. For example, Metro AG, which owns the Metro Cash & Carry supermarket chain in Ukraine, has approximately 3 times less turnover than Schwarz Group, and Auchan almost 4 times less.
  3. The fastest growing supermarket chain in Europe – Lidl was not the leader in food retail in Europe 8 years ago, giving place to Carrefour, Tesco and Aldi. Considering the current huge gap with competitors – 50% larger turnover than Aldi, the second in the ranking, one can understand how impressive growth rates Lidl has had in recent years!
  4. Ukraine is the first former CIS country where Lidl enters, but not the first where Schwarz Group operates. The Kaufland supermarket chain shortly after entering the Moldovan retail market took the lead in the comprehensive assessment of fruit and vegetable departments and greatly raised the bar for the quality and range of fruit and vegetables.
  5. The business model is a tough discounter. Kaufland is usually a premium supermarket, but Lidl is the opposite. We can say that Lidl is a trendsetter in this segment. It is distinguished by extremely low, sometimes incredibly low prices, a minimum of staff, placement of goods on shelves in original packaging from the supplier in order to save the consumer’s money, a limited assortment, an emphasis on its own network brands (Private Label), but the presence of leading independent brands, unlike other discounters.
  6. Private Label – Lidl has an extensive system of partners-producers of goods for the chain under its own (chain) trademarks in different countries. In addition, the company has its own powerful production facility, Schwarz Produktion. These products are the most affordable in each category, as a rule.
  7. In Poland, Lidl operates a chain of more than 700 stores with a turnover of over $6 billion, being the leader in food retail in Poland. For comparison, the turnover of ATB, the leader of the Ukrainian retail, is approximately the same in 2020 as the turnover of Lidl in Poland. At the same time, ATB has much more stores – about 1200. However, the average size of a Lidl store in Poland, according to our estimates, is 35-50% larger than that of ATB in Ukraine.
  8. Lidl officially announced its entry into the markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Estonia in 2022. Let us remind you that entering the Ukrainian market has not yet been officially announced.
  9. Lidl Plus is an interesting and effective loyalty system that goes far beyond traditional discounts and cashbacks. Consumers can use the smartphone app around the world.
  10. The scandals and litigation involving Lidl mainly concerned complaints about working conditions and low wages at Lidl’s suppliers and in the stores of the chain.

How does Lidl sell fresh vegetables and fruits?

As in any other segment, Lidl focuses on ultra-low prices for vegetables and fruits. The challenge for a retailer is always to be the first in fruit and vegetable prices.

Nonetheless, the requirements for the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables in Lidl are very high. The chain may not offer premium-quality products, but it inspects the suppliers of fruits and vegetables very rigidly in terms of complying with the safety and quality requirements. The supplier, on the other hand, knows that if Lidl’s requirements are met, the chain will be able to offer huge development prospects and large volumes of product sales.

Lidl’s range of vegetables and fruits is limited, but the chain has recently regularly prioritized this segment of goods, given the global trend towards healthy food choice. For example, in the UK, the chain plans to increase the share of healthy foods to 85% of total sales and increase sales of fruits and vegetables by 35% by 2026, Fruitnet reported.

The focus on local vegetables and fruits is also an important element of the fruit and vegetable trading strategy for Lidl. Trade in local products, as we regularly emphasize in the fruit and vegetable audits of EastFruit retail chains, is beneficial for any chain. This allows to offer fresher, and therefore tastier fruit and vegetables, reduce transport costs, emphasizing the concern for the environment, and, at the same time, get a higher price, since consumers in most countries prefer local products to imports.

However, the availability of high-quality and safe products in the country at a competitive price should be taken into account. Otherwise, Lidl’s global direct procurement and direct import system will find alternatives.

The quality of the produce department and the quality of services in Lidl supermarket chains usually correspond to the discounter format. The chain is trying to minimize staff costs, so you shouldn’t expect a lot of workers in the store. Lidl supermarkets are also unlikely to amaze by merchandising and beautiful display, as products are usually sold in the same packaging they were supplied by producers or wholesalers of fruits and vegetables. Nevertheless, Lidl’s information content, as a rule, is at a fairly high level, as well as the convenience of shopping.

Lidl stores normally have an area of ​​about 1 thousand square meters, but there are also stores of ​​about 2 thousand square meters.

Lidl, taking into account the general trend towards a healthy diet, also pays great attention to the sale of organic vegetables and fruits and has its own line of organic products. This, undoubtedly, can attract not only economy-oriented shoppers to the store, but also the premium segment.

Since Lidl was a large wholesale company for a long time before entering the retail segment of the business, it knows well how to minimize the logistics costs for the purchase of fruits and vegetables. Accordingly, the supermarket chain is likely to launch a distribution center (DC) at the earliest stage of market entry. Without this, it will not be possible to implement the strategy of ultra-low prices. Naturally, the chain will strive to work directly with producers who have the necessary capabilities to ensure year-round supplies of fruits and vegetables.

As Lidl is trying not to hire many employees in sales areas, the chain will most likely require suppliers of fruits and vegetables to supply products with the maximum level of “packaging”. In other words, you probably won’t find bulk potatoes, carrots or other root vegetables in Lidl.

What does the possible entry of Lidl into the market mean for Ukrainian farmers, vegetable and potato growers?

First of all, these are new opportunities. Competition is always good, and Lidl will become a new powerful distribution channel. The partnership with Lidl will help producers create long-term business development strategies, taking into account the best international practices. After all, if you can meet the requirements of Lidl in Ukraine, you will most likely be able to supply products to any supermarket in the world.

Here is the second advantage – the opportunity to enter the international market, as well as through Lidl. Lidl’s global procurement strategy provides this opportunity for the most efficient and competitive suppliers. Therefore, the network can become a gateway to the markets of the EU and other countries in the world.

The third advantage is the general increase in the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables, which usually takes place after such a powerful international player enters the market. For instance, Lidl in Poland requires mandatory GlobalGAP certification from all vegetable and fruit suppliers, and the requirements for pesticide residues in the chain are much stricter than the EU standards.

While producers dislike and actively oppose increased requirements to their products, improved quality always leads to higher sales and revenue. Of course, this will require investment in the infrastructure for refinement, and many will even have to change approaches to production and crop protection, if they want to take advantage of the opportunities provided by Lidl.

The fourth advantage is the reduction of the risk of non-payment by the chain. Unfortunately, many suppliers of vegetables and fruits in Ukraine have not been able to receive payments for the supplied products due to bankruptcies of chains, or they often received payments delayed up to six months or more. In the case of the leader of European retail, such risk will be minor.

In general, any opportunity will require improvements from producers. Without a doubt, these are changes for the better and producers need to start preparing for them now.

What does Lidl’s possible entry into the market mean for fruit and vegetable consumers?

It is quite clear – competition means lower prices. An average Ukrainian consumer is not among the richest in the world, so he will only be glad to save money.

The second important advantage for the Ukrainian consumer is Lidl’s increased requirements for residues of plant protection products in vegetables and fruits, which we mentioned above. This will provide additional safety guarantees to Ukrainian consumers, and the chain will benefit from a high level of loyalty.

The third advantage is higher requirements for the quality of fruit and vegetable products. This can be very important for those who are tired of dirty potatoes, onions, carrots, beets in supermarket stores.

The fourth is the availability of organic products in the chain’s stores. However, it is not yet entirely clear how widely the organic segment will be represented in the fruit and vegetable department of Lidl in Ukraine.

The fifth is the promotion of local products that are tastier and fresher. Lidl will create opportunities to develop fruit and vegetable production in Ukraine and promote local products as they do in other countries.

Perhaps, a reduced assortment can be a potential drawback of the chain. However, the “reduced assortment” in the EU market may be quite sufficient for the Ukrainian market, as the average supermarket chain in Kyiv has about 100-120 positions of vegetables and fruits, the leaders – 200-260 positions, and ATB – about 50 positions.

What does Lidl’s entry into the market mean for the retail business, and how will it take place?

Since the former manager of the chain in Poland has been appointed as the head of the Lidl chain in Ukraine, it is obvious that Ukrainian chains should study the experience of the neighboring country.

Will Lidl buy any of the Ukrainian supermarket chains or will it create its own supermarket chain in Ukraine from scratch? It would be logical to assume that the ATB supermarket chain is the most suitable for the Lidl chain in terms of its format, and its purchase can provide the rapid gaining of leadership.

However, the experience of other countries shows that Lidl prefers to create its own chain, rather than enter the market through the purchase of competitors. Perhaps this is due to the format of the chain and high requirements for efficiency created by standardizing stores. Nevertheless, it is this option of entering the Ukrainian market that seems very likely. This will become a significant impetus to the development of the commercial real estate market in Ukraine, as experience has proven that the chain will strive to take the leading positions in the country within 3-5 years.

Where will Lidl find its Ukrainian competitors, where will it be inferior to them, and what position would the chain take in our audit today if it had already operated on the market?

As a rule, Lidl is a leader in terms of prices, but it will not be easy to do this in Ukraine. Particularly, it will be more difficult than in Poland. This is due to the fact that, according to EastFruit estimates, only 26% of all vegetables and fruits are sold through supermarket chains, and 74% of trade turnover is sales in markets, stands and street trading. If we take into account the consumption of self-grown vegetables and fruits in value terms, the chains control only 16.5% of the consumption of vegetables and fruits in value terms.

Obviously, the Lidl chain will be able to count on leadership in prices in the segment of imported vegetables and fruits at the first stage. It may take some time to become the leader in local products.

In terms of assortment, the chain is most likely to be somewhere in the middle, but it is likely to take leading positions in terms of quality. As for the quality of the department, we expect the chain to have the same positions as in the assortment – in the upper middle of the rating of the country’s supermarkets.

Thus, we assume that Lidl, according to a comprehensive assessment of the fruit and vegetable departments, will enter the top 3 of Ukraine. The chain will most likely offer the greatest competition to such supermarket chains in Ukraine as ATB, Novus, Silpo and Auchan.

Of course, only the ATB chain can be considered a direct competitor of Lidl, however, the German retailer will put pressure on Auchan and all other chains in terms of prices. In terms of product quality, Lidl will compete directly with Novus, especially Novus Express, offering significantly lower prices. Silpo, on the other hand, has multi-format stores, and their large part are very similar in format to discounters. It is this segment of the chain that will suffer the most from the potential expansion of Lidl in the Ukrainian market.

Given the long stagnation at the very end of the EastFruit rating of the Ecomarket and Velyka Kishenya chains, Lidl’s entry into the Ukrainian market may accelerate their exit from the retail business, because their formats will directly intersect with a more powerful international competitor.

Conclusions

Lidl’s entry into the Ukrainian market may not take place, since the chain has long had offices in some countries with no Lidl stores. However, these are usually countries with large orders for the production of goods for sale in this supermarket chain, and Ukraine hardly fits this criterion.

Most likely, Lidl’s entry into the Ukrainian market will take a lot of time. Therefore, we cannot say for sure that there will be at least one store of the chain in the country by the end of 2022.

Lidl’s entry into the Ukrainian market will have a powerful impact on both the retail market and the fruit and vegetable market. The impact will be predominantly positive, as it will open up new opportunities for business development and even export expansion for the most progressive producers and provide access to better and safer products at a fair competitive price for consumers.

The entry of such a powerful player into the country’s market is also positive for the image and investment attractiveness of Ukraine, as Lidl will create new investment opportunities in other sectors of the country’s food and non-food businesses.

“The EastFruit team is looking forward to including Lidl in our periodic retail audits of supermarket horticultural departments, which we have been doing for nearly 15 years. We see how the development of modern fruit and vegetable retail is changing the fruit and vegetable business of the countries of our region, creating new opportunities for all market participants ready to face the challenges of modern times and develop,” says Andriy Yarmak, Economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), managing a joint FAO/EBRD project to develop the fruit and vegetable trade in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

We invite everyone to the first international conference “Retail Forum – 2021” on December 2, 2021 in Kyiv. As part of the event, EastFruit experts and representatives of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association will present a unique study of the country’s fruit and vegetable retail. The study includes the top 20 best-selling vegetables and fruits, seasonality of sales, specific weight of vegetables and fruits in the turnover of chains, current turnovers of fruits and vegetables in Ukrainian retail, and, of course, opportunities for the development of this segment.

Registration of participants will soon be available on the FruitInform website. For participation you can contact the project staff:
+380 96 5836323 – Yevhen Kuzin, eugenekuzin@gmail.com

+380 96 4337857 – Olexandr Khorev, halex.khorev@gmail.com

+380 96 1319287 – Olexandra Manko, sashchaa@gmail.com

Сообщение Lidl to make a revolution in Ukraine’s retail and produce sectors: detailed analysis by EastFruit появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/lidl-to-make-a-revolution-in-ukraines-retail-and-produce-sectors-detailed-analysis-by-eastfruit/feed/ 0
EBRD provides credit to a Ukrainian exporter of frozen berries https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/ebrd-provides-credit-to-a-ukrainian-exporter-of-frozen-berries/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/ebrd-provides-credit-to-a-ukrainian-exporter-of-frozen-berries/#respond Tue, 28 Sep 2021 07:12:31 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=87740 According to EastFruit, Ukraine is one of the leading global exporters of the wild blueberries – Ukrainian king of antioxidants. Organically certified low bush blueberries could boost the health of consumers’ heart and overall immune system, it is also an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin C and vitamin K...

Сообщение EBRD provides credit to a Ukrainian exporter of frozen berries появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

According to EastFruit, Ukraine is one of the leading global exporters of the wild blueberries – Ukrainian king of antioxidants. Organically certified low bush blueberries could boost the health of consumers’ heart and overall immune system, it is also an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin C and vitamin K and contains a large number of antioxidants. Consequently, Ukrainian wild blueberries considered a “superfood” and the Amethyst Ole company supplies local and international buyers with it.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) have helped the company to upgrade its production and boost exports. Amethyst Ole is located in the village of Rudnya Bystra in northern Ukraine. It procures and processes wild berries – blueberries in particular. Local businesses and micro-farmers in the Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsk, Rivne and Volyn regions harvest wild berries and bring them to designated collection points scattered around various villages. By midnight, Ole picks up the berries and takes them to the production site. Every batch is processed within four hours of arrival. This ensures that the berries remain fresh and retain their healthy properties.

“When we started in 2011, we already had extensive experience of retailing berries, but with Ole we wanted to concentrate on quality over quantity and, even more importantly, create jobs for locals and give farmers an opportunity to have their goods sold outside Ukraine. With blueberry exports on the rise, we ship to Poland, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Belgium and many other countries,” says Vasyl Chamor, Ole’s Chief Operating Officer.

Freshly picked berries are unloaded in a cooling corridor at -5℃ and then stored in a freezer room at -22 to -25℃ before reaching the processing line.

First, a spiral conveyor fans the berries and separates off the leaves, gravel and any other waste. The blueberries are then automatically sorted according to size before reaching the electronic cleaning machine. This state-of-the-art machine, is a custom-built photographic berry separator, has 16-colour video cameras that allow a 360-degree view of the processed berries.

“This machine is necessary to ensure that only top-quality berries reach the final physical quality check and inspection line before being packed and shipped,” Vasyl explains.

After a final quality check, the blueberries are electronically weighed and packed. Every package goes through a metal detector and is checked for radiation levels. In addition, every batch of berries undergoes regular spot checks for harmful particles.

“We take consumer safety very seriously. Our goal is to ensure that our processing machinery and methods meet the high standards set by the EU. That is why we have all our equipment and processes certified. This includes all relevant certifications for ISO, organic and natural product processing and hazard analysis standards,” Vasyl adds.

Lastly, the company stores the packed blueberries in freezing chambers at approximately -35℃ until they are shipped to customers.

The EU4Business-EBRD credit line helped the berry processor to upgrade machinery and purchase crate-washing equipment, as the company was able to take out a loan through local partner institution Bank Lviv. Amethyst Ole is just one of the 470 Ukrainian businesses that have benefited from EBRD-EU4Business credit line funds.

Small and medium-sized businesses are vital for sustainable economic development in any country. For agriculturally focused countries like Ukraine, it remains challenging to access technologies and meet industry standards, especially for businesses that are located outside big cities and regional centres.

Through partner banks, the EBRD and the EU support firms in Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership countries with finance and grant incentives to meet international standards and regulations. This unlocks new opportunities and markets for SMEs, boosts export volumes and builds better economies in the long run.

Сообщение EBRD provides credit to a Ukrainian exporter of frozen berries появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/ebrd-provides-credit-to-a-ukrainian-exporter-of-frozen-berries/feed/ 0
1,000 followers on EastFruit’s LinkedIn page https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/1000-followers-on-eastfruits-linkedin-page/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/1000-followers-on-eastfruits-linkedin-page/#respond Wed, 15 Sep 2021 09:37:49 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=86503 The potential of the professional social network LinkedIn is greatly underestimated In Eastern Europe, especially in the fruit and vegetable sector. However, it is here that the target audience gathers, including that for exporters of vegetables and fruits when it comes to supplies outside the CIS. At the same time,...

Сообщение 1,000 followers on EastFruit’s LinkedIn page появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

The potential of the professional social network LinkedIn is greatly underestimated In Eastern Europe, especially in the fruit and vegetable sector. However, it is here that the target audience gathers, including that for exporters of vegetables and fruits when it comes to supplies outside the CIS.

At the same time, the EastFruit’s page in LinkedIn has gathered more than 1,000 subscribers last week, becoming the main source of information about the produce business in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“Diversification of the export of fruit and vegetables outside the traditional markets is one of the most challenging tasks for farmers and vegetable growers in the region given a decrease in Russian imports and increased competition in the regional market. Thanks to the information shared by the English page of the EastFruit website on LinkedIn many importers and supermarket chains in the EU, Middle East and Asia have become interested in importing grapes, plums and apples from Moldova, cherries, dried fruits, watermelon, melons and onions from Uzbekistan, niche products from Tajikistan, feijoa, kiwi and blueberries from Georgia,” says Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

He advises all entrepreneurs who are interested in exporting their products outside the CIS, and even those who work in the CIS logistics market, to register online. In addition, he points to the fact that the EastFruit platform is open for export promotion and can be used now for free. In this case, the exporter or producer must confirm his readiness to export, namely: sufficient volumes for exports, knowledge of international requirements for the quality and safety of products, in particular, the availability of GlobalGAP certification, and HACCP for processors; fluency in English; active websites or pages in social networks containing information about the company and its products in English; understanding of international logistics and international trade as a whole.

EastFruit experts will help businesses that meet these criteria prepare promotional materials in English and post them on the Eastfruit’s page and on the LinkedIn platform to facilitate the search for partners. This information will be seen by an average of 5-30 thousand people – exclusively from the fruit and vegetable sector.

In addition, companies can use the LinkedIn trading group “Fruits and Vegetables” to directly promote their products. However, the efficiency will be lower there.

For those who work mainly in the markets of the former USSR countries, we recommend the most popular Telegram platform EF Trade Platform with more than 18 thousand participants. It is the only platform of its kind in terms of the number of participants and the live update of publications on the East-Fruit.com website visited by about 1 million people annually.

Сообщение 1,000 followers on EastFruit’s LinkedIn page появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/1000-followers-on-eastfruits-linkedin-page/feed/ 0
Georgian blueberry producer FCO aim to export on the premium segment with “GeorgianBlue” brand https://east-fruit.ru/en/horticultural-business/stories/georgian-blueberry-producer-fco-aim-to-export-on-the-premium-segment-with-georgianblue-brand/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/horticultural-business/stories/georgian-blueberry-producer-fco-aim-to-export-on-the-premium-segment-with-georgianblue-brand/#respond Wed, 21 Apr 2021 04:00:21 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=74222 FCO, a major Georgian blueberry producer working mainly for export, intends to enter the high-price and premium segments of the global market this year. The company’s products will be traded under the GeorgianBlue brand from now on. FCO LLC, located in the village of Laituri, Ozurgeti region (Guria region, Western Georgia),...

Сообщение Georgian blueberry producer FCO aim to export on the premium segment with “GeorgianBlue” brand появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

FCO, a major Georgian blueberry producer working mainly for export, intends to enter the high-price and premium segments of the global market this year. The company’s products will be traded under the GeorgianBlue brand from now on.

FCO LLC, located in the village of Laituri, Ozurgeti region (Guria region, Western Georgia), is currently producing blueberries on 36 hectares. The company received the Global G.A.P. GRASP certificate for blueberries in 2020. The company owns another 290 hectares of agricultural land to be converted gradually in the same region. In particular, FCO plans to increase the area of ​​blueberry plantation to 260 hectares in the next 4-5 years.

“The company has focused on improving the post-harvest infrastructure on the eve of the new season. In particular, we have installed a modern rapid pre-cooling system on our farm. We expect the latest equipment for sorting and packaging blueberries to be delivered from the USA by the end of April, which will allow sorting berries both by size and softness, and packing them into containers of various shapes and sizes – 125 grams, 250 grams, 500 grams, etc. We already have refrigerated units for storage. So, the company will enter the new season with a completely developed post-harvest infrastructure that comply with international standards. In addition, with the new brand our products will be recognizable both in the local and export markets – they will be presented under the GeorgianBlue brand (“GeorgianBlue – Finest Blueberries from the hills of Guria”). All this, together with the volume and growing global demand for blueberries, will allow us to successfully cooperate with high-level foreign buyers –  supermarket chains and other large foreign traders that value quality and are ready to pay more,” FCO representative Rati Morchiladze told EastFruit .

Read also: Georgian farmer successfully develops berry business thanks to support from EU-funded project

According to Rati Morchiladze, the company plans to export its products to the markets of the EU countries, Great Britain, Russia and the Persian Gulf this season.

“We are now negotiating with large buyers from these countries. The demand is high and they are putting forward attractive offers for us. According to our preliminary estimates, we will export at least 95% of all our products this year,” he said.

According to the current forecast of the FCO company, it will start the blueberry season this year in early June – 4-5 days later than last year due to weather conditions. “However, the timing of the start of the harvest may still change – it will depend on the weather conditions in the second half of spring”, – a company representative said.

As Rati Morchiladze said, the company will set up a collection point for blueberries from farmers in the Guria region this year for the first time.

“This will help them sell their products, and for us to have larger volumes of export shipments. A proper quality control mechanism has been introduced in our production, and sorting will be available. Finished products, depending on the quality, will be sold through the appropriate channels,” he said.

According to the company’s plans, this season it intends to sell about 300 tons of blueberries, 180 tons of which will be its own harvest, and the rest will be purchases from local farmers.

“We will gradually expand our blueberry plantation, and accordingly, our yields will grow. We are sure that in a few years GeorgianBlue will take a leading position in the export of Georgian agricultural products and become a worthy participant in the international blueberry market,” Rati Morchiladze noted.

Сообщение Georgian blueberry producer FCO aim to export on the premium segment with “GeorgianBlue” brand появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/horticultural-business/stories/georgian-blueberry-producer-fco-aim-to-export-on-the-premium-segment-with-georgianblue-brand/feed/ 0
One of the first centers of agricultural services launched in Uzbekistan https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/one-of-the-first-centers-of-agricultural-services-launched-in-uzbekistan/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/one-of-the-first-centers-of-agricultural-services-launched-in-uzbekistan/#respond Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:46:00 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=73411 A presentation of one of the first pilot AKIS Agricultural Service Centers (National Center for Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture) took place in Yukori Chirchik district of Tashkent region (Uzbekistan) on April 2, 2021. This center, as well as other similar AKIS centers, which will be established and opened in 2021...

Сообщение One of the first centers of agricultural services launched in Uzbekistan появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

A presentation of one of the first pilot AKIS Agricultural Service Centers (National Center for Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture) took place in Yukori Chirchik district of Tashkent region (Uzbekistan) on April 2, 2021. This center, as well as other similar AKIS centers, which will be established and opened in 2021 and 2022 in all regions of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Karakalpakstan, are part of the Agriculture Development Strategy until 2030. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan notes that in each region, AKIS Agricultural Service Centers may have their own unique formats of providing services.

Earlier, on March 30, 2021, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban paid a visit to the AKIS Agricultural Services Center in the Tashkent region, where the Agricultural Services Center and the joint Uzbek-Hungarian Potato Research Center were solemnly opened.

A presentation of the new AKIS Agricultural Services Center was held in the Tashkent region on April 2, 2021. “The AKIS Center is our first step in integrating agricultural sector and science,” the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev noted. – We adhere to the idea that “there is no modern agriculture without science, innovation and education.” The center of agricultural services in the Tashkent region and everything that is presented there has a popular name AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovations System). We create and develop this system in cooperation and with the support of the European Union, the World Bank and other international donor organizations. It is important for us that farmers visiting the center feel at home, receive both knowledge and necessary services through the public or private sector, and can also purchase the necessary agricultural products here – from large equipment and technologies to fertilizers. But not only farmers will be able to receive the necessary knowledge through AKIS centers, we are focused on training and transforming of all state organizations in the agricultural sector. We understand that at first we might face some problems, shortcomings and time is needed to fully adjust and adapt this new system. We are ready to listen to every guest who is willing and able to contribute to the development of the Center and the industry, and we are ready to create all the necessary conditions for this mechanism to work effectively.”

“The fundamental element that unites all AKIS systems in the EU and other countries of the world is the desire to involve people and organizations to promote mutual learning, creativity, exchange of knowledge and information on agriculture,” the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan Charlotte Adrian said at the presentation of the Center for Agricultural Services in the Tashkent region. “It is important to use these centers to improve the living conditions of individuals, in particular women, and to ensure the sustainable use of our precious natural resources.”

Guide to the AKIS agricultural services center in Tashkent region

The AKIS Center is a new and unique platform for Central Asia, offering more than 100 types of agricultural services to all types of farmers and creating conditions for private local and foreign agriculture companies striving for effective direct communication with its target audience.

Thus, representatives of the agricultural sector can access a variety of services, including laboratory, consulting and legal matters, purchase agricultural products of a wide range, strengthen or establish new contacts and connections with other industry participants in the universal center of agricultural services in the Tashkent region.

  • In the PAVILION OF STATE AGRICULTURAL SERVICES, you can get consulting services and other support from state-owned enterprises in 17 agricultural areas, including banking, legal services, etc.
  • In the “LABORATORIES” sector with representatives of 14 research institutes and laboratories of the agricultural sector, you can get up to 45 types of services in 5 areas (plant protection/geochemistry and soil analysis/certification of agricultural products/seed production of agricultural crops/veterinary services).
  • Workshops, lectures and trainings with local and foreign experts have already begun in the EDUCATIONAL AND LECTURE HALL. Some halls are equipped for conducting direct online interviews with foreign agribusiness experts. To date, lectures of Hungarian, Turkish and Chinese experts have already been held for farmers and agricultural students.

Around 20 foreign experts from Great Britain, Turkey, Italy, Hungary, Australia, France, Russia and other countries will provide consulting assistance in the AKIS Agricultural Services Center.

  • Farmers can use the services of OUTDOOR MOBILE LABORATORIES in 9 different ways thanks to equipped vehicles:
  1. Quality laboratory (certification) of food products
  2. Soil and Fertilizer Analysis Laboratory
  3. Plant clinic laboratory
  4. Veterinary laboratory
  5. Drones and IT Lab (Geoinformation)
  6. Laboratory for water management (water analysis, installation of irrigation equipment)
  1. Plant protection services (sprayers)
  2. Agroservice (repair of agricultural machinery)
  3. Landscaping.
  • A PAVILION OF PRIVATE SECTOR SERVICES “AKIS – AGROXIZMATLAR” is another promising sector in the AKIS Center. The market for goods and services in the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan is now actively expanding and developing. Farmers can get acquainted with the offers of leading private local and foreign companies in the field of agricultural machinery, irrigation technologies, chemicalization, seed production, etc., and conclude lucrative contracts in this pavilion.

To date, 20 companies are represented in the pavilion.

The AKIS Agricultural Services Center is ready to further develop cooperation with the private sector, creating conditions for active communication of agricultural companies with farmers.

  • The agricultural market AGROBOZOR (at the end of the Center for Agricultural Services) is a convenient platform for both producers who need direct access to their target clients, and farmers that can receive detailed information on various agriculture products. They can also purchase these goods there.
  • DEMO-SITE (in the inner part of the AKIS Center), where modern equipment from local and foreign producers is presented, allows to get acquainted with current offers and a huge range of agricultural machinery in a short time and in detail.
  • AKIS EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION FIELDS, located next to the Center for Agricultural Services in the Tashkent region, cover 72 hectares of agricultural land. It houses modern demo greenhouses, refrigerated warehouses. 8 varieties of potatoes and 10 varieties of cotton, various types of cereals, melons and vegetables are grown and studied on the plantation areas.

In the premises of the Akis Center in Tashkent Region is located also first joint UZBEK-HUNGARIAN RESEARCH CENTER OF POTATO FARMING, where Hungarian specialists, working closely with Uzbek scientists, provide assistance in the study and cultivation of virus-resistant and other types of potatoes, using IN VITRO technology.

In the near future, the AKIS Agricultural Services Center is to be opened in the Fergana region.

Сообщение One of the first centers of agricultural services launched in Uzbekistan появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/one-of-the-first-centers-of-agricultural-services-launched-in-uzbekistan/feed/ 0
GLOBALG.A.P. certification obtained by two of the largest horticultural companies in Transnistria (Moldova) https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/globalg-a-p-certification-obtained-by-two-of-the-largest-horticultural-companies-in-transnistria-moldova/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/globalg-a-p-certification-obtained-by-two-of-the-largest-horticultural-companies-in-transnistria-moldova/#respond Tue, 09 Feb 2021 14:59:57 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=68783 Agro Compact SRL has 138 hectares of super-intensive apple, apricot, and cherry orchards. The company initiated the GLOBALG.A.P. certification process for its apple orchards in 2019. Last year, the company’s inspection was approved by an authorized certification body and following the results of the inspection, confirmed its certification for another...

Сообщение GLOBALG.A.P. certification obtained by two of the largest horticultural companies in Transnistria (Moldova) появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

Agro Compact SRL has 138 hectares of super-intensive apple, apricot, and cherry orchards. The company initiated the GLOBALG.A.P. certification process for its apple orchards in 2019. Last year, the company’s inspection was approved by an authorized certification body and following the results of the inspection, confirmed its certification for another year. In 2021, the company’s management plans to carry out the GLOBALG.A.P. certification process for its plum orchards with the expectation of exporting products to the European Union.

Read also: Main export variety of table grapes getting cheaper in Moldova

Another company in Moldova, EvroRostAgro SRL, has been cultivating about 47 hectares of pome and stone fruit orchards since 2018, including almost 24 hectares of apple orchards. This year the company plans to plant almost 20 hectares of nectarines and cherries. Last year, the company’s apple orchards passed the GLOBALG.A.P. certification process for the first time. Its products are exported to the CIS markets with plans to supply them to the countries in the European Union, the Persian Gulf, and North Africa.

Both companies are members of the Dnestrovsky Fruit Association. The organization’s management hopes that other members will follow the example of these enterprises and become certified according to GLOBALG.A.P. for access to new markets, premium product segments, and higher prices.

Currently, there are more than 70 fruit growing enterprises in Moldova with valid GLOBALG.A.P. certificates.

Сообщение GLOBALG.A.P. certification obtained by two of the largest horticultural companies in Transnistria (Moldova) появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/globalg-a-p-certification-obtained-by-two-of-the-largest-horticultural-companies-in-transnistria-moldova/feed/ 0
GLOBALG.A.P. certifications increased by 10% in Ukraine in 2020 https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/globalg-a-p-certifications-increased-by-10-in-ukraine-in-2020/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/globalg-a-p-certifications-increased-by-10-in-ukraine-in-2020/#respond Tue, 19 Jan 2021 06:30:56 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=67303 The number of GLOBALG.A.P. certified producers in 2020 grew insignificantly by about 10%, but more will be reliably known in February 2021 when the annual certification cycle ends and trends for the year are determined as told by Yulia Sliva, the chairwoman of the GLOBALG.A.P. National Technical Working Group (NTWG)...

Сообщение GLOBALG.A.P. certifications increased by 10% in Ukraine in 2020 появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

The number of GLOBALG.A.P. certified producers in 2020 grew insignificantly by about 10%, but more will be reliably known in February 2021 when the annual certification cycle ends and trends for the year are determined as told by Yulia Sliva, the chairwoman of the GLOBALG.A.P. National Technical Working Group (NTWG) in Ukraine, in a comment for AgroPortal.ua.

“The pace of certification today reflects the general trend in the world associated with the pandemic and other economic circumstances,” the chairwoman notes. According to her, they could grow more. Some companies did not continue a certification in 2020 and some passed it for the first time. “But if we take into account the growth provided by new producers, we can say that Ukraine is still keeping pace,” says Ms. Sliva.

Read also: Ukrainian potato producer expands area and storage capacity for potatoes

In addition to the pandemic, certification in 2020 was affected by drought and certain crop failures in Ukraine. In particular, there were questions about the exports of plant products. For example, there were problems with the exports of apples.

“Firstly, there was a poor harvest compared to previous periods, and secondly, some producers refused GLOBALG.A.P. certification. Apples could be sold in Ukraine at an absolutely reasonable price and for the domestic market, GLOBALG.A.P. certification is not required,” the specialist explains.

During the lockdown period of April-May 2020 due to the lack of regulatory mechanisms in the market for the sale of vegetables, fruits, etc., there were conditions under which producers did not extend certification at all. It was often impossible to sell products on the domestic market and to export them too,” recalls Ms. Sliva.

At the same time, she draws attention to the fact that the certification process is becoming more and more producer-friendly. In particular, today GLOBALG.A.P. documents exist in Ukrainian, their translation and harmonization were carried out by the GLOBALG.A.P.-NTWG in Ukraine with the support of USAID’s Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) project.

“Producers can now use the Ukrainian language versions, which have the same status as other versions,” says the chairwoman of the GLOBALG.A.P.-NTWG in Ukraine and adds that the new 6.0 version of the GLOBALG.A.P standard is currently being developed.

“It is being fully revised and developed to reflect new requirements and trends in food safety management. The standard will be published in 2022 and, in 2023, it will become mandatory for all producers,” said Ms. Sliva.

Сообщение GLOBALG.A.P. certifications increased by 10% in Ukraine in 2020 появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/globalg-a-p-certifications-increased-by-10-in-ukraine-in-2020/feed/ 0
Moldova increases plums exports to Germany https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/moldova-increases-plums-exports-to-germany/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/moldova-increases-plums-exports-to-germany/#respond Fri, 27 Nov 2020 10:02:58 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=64327 Trade representatives from the German fruit procurement company A&B Fruchthandels GmbH travelled to Moldova in September. Prior to the trip, USAID’s project “Effective Agriculture of Moldova” (APM) assisted the German company with facilitating a series of online discussions with 13 local agricultural fruit-producing enterprises in order for this importer to...

Сообщение Moldova increases plums exports to Germany появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>

Trade representatives from the German fruit procurement company A&B Fruchthandels GmbH travelled to Moldova in September. Prior to the trip, USAID’s project “Effective Agriculture of Moldova” (APM) assisted the German company with facilitating a series of online discussions with 13 local agricultural fruit-producing enterprises in order for this importer to familiarize themselves with the economic profiles.

During their visit, A&B Fruchthandels specialists inspected orchards, warehouses, and products from potential business partners in Moldova. A preliminary agreement was reached on the supply of several hundred tons of plums (20-30 refrigerated trucks) this year.

Read also: Moldova Fruct Association plans to export 30,000-35,000 tons of plums to Russia

The German importer did not require the GlobalG.A.P. and GRASP safety and social responsibility certificates from Moldovan suppliers. However, ownerships of these certificates were considered an advantage during product pricing discussions. Their main criteria for selecting suppliers were large volumes of products of the same type and uniform quality (i.e., caliber, pulp color, etc.).

Representatives from A&B Fruchthandels sought to purchase the high-quality plum varieties Stanley, Lepotika, Top Hit, and President (a medium-sized late plum) at relatively low prices. In addition, the parties discussed the prospects for the supply of the Moldovan plum variety ‘Cacanska Early’ for next year. Roughly half of A&B Fruchthandels’ customer base in Germany is pastry chefs using fruits in traditional German pastries.

Among the EU countries, Germany is the third-largest buyer of Moldovan plums after Romania and Poland. Last year Moldova exported about 1,300 tons of these fruits to Germany. This year, despite the reduced plum harvest in Moldova, its supplies to the German market may increase by the end of the season.

Сообщение Moldova increases plums exports to Germany появились сначала на EastFruit.

]]>
https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/moldova-increases-plums-exports-to-germany/feed/ 0