Moldova exported apples harvested in 2021 to 25 countries of the world, while more than 13 thousand tons were supplied to other markets alternative to Russia.
Such data was presented by the Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters Moldova Fruct, noting that these Moldovan apples were exported to the countries of the European Union, Central Asia, the Persian Gulf and North Africa. At the same time, more than 2 thousand tons of Moldovan apples of the 2021 harvest were sent over long distances in sea containers. Moldovan-made apples were exported for the first time to Germany, Kuwait, Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan. As noted in Moldova Fruct, the need to diversify the apple market has been on the agenda of Moldovan gardeners for more than 10 years, but it became an acute problem when the war in Ukraine began. In 2017, the Moldova Fruct Association initiated testing of new marketing options for fresh apples with the support of the USAID Efficient Farming in Moldova (APM) project. So, if the Moldovan apples of the 2020 harvest were exported to 9 countries, then the apples of the 2021 harvest were already exported to 25 countries. Efforts to diversify export markets included the organization of numerous trade missions of foreign importers to Moldova, as well as Moldovan producers to the Middle East, the participation of horticulturists in international exhibitions and B2B events. This allowed Moldovan fruit producers to understand the needs of apple consumers in the EU and the Middle East and to adapt their production process in accordance with these requirements. According to the association Moldova Fruct, in order for Moldovan fruits to enter new markets, for example, in the EU or the Middle East, Moldovan producers must update their range of apple varieties in accordance with market demand. In this regard, it is important that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and relevant authorities facilitate the testing and registration of new varieties in the Catalog of Plant Varieties. Producers must also implement international standards that validate good agricultural practice and product safety, such as GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP, SMETA, etc. Last but not least, the levels of pesticide residues in fruit need to be regulated in order to meet the requirements of international markets, whose standards are often stricter than in Russia. Statistics show that Moldova exports 64% of the volume of agricultural products to the EU market, but in the case of apples, there is a great dependence on the Russian market, where 97% of the total export of apples - 240 thousand tons was sent. In the current season, when exporting apples of the 2021 harvest (August 2021 - March 2022) Russia's share has fallen to 90% and will continue to decline against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and international sanctions against Russia. Currently, about 100 thousand tons of apples are stored in Moldova. // 30.03.2022 — InfoMarket
