At the height of the winter freeze, Romania is importing nearly the entire basket of fruit and vegetables to meet the local market needs. According to Ilie Ghilerdea a Buyer of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables at the Romanian importer Select Fruits they import produce from around the world, "We had very good sales that led to a significant increase in imports for both vegetables and fruits."
This time of the year in the heart of winter citrus fruit is of course in high demand. "Citrus is imported from Turkey, Italy, Greece, and Egypt. Avocado from Colombia; Berries from Peru, Chile, and Morocco; Grapes from Peru and South Africa; Asparagus from Peru; Mango from Brazil and Peru; Pineapples from Costa Rica and Ghana; Broccoli and lettuce from Spain; Pomegranates and capsicum from Turkey; Litchi from Madagascar; Pomelo and garlic from China; Tomatoes from Morocco, Turkey, and Spain; Ginger from Peru and China; Sweet potatoes and red cabbage are from Egypt. These are some of our top items. In 2024, we imported over 28,000 tons of produce from various regions across the globe," explains Ghilerdea.
Select Fruits is based in the Romanian capital of Bucharest with sourcing done from around the world. He says consumers in Romania highly favor fruits like citrus, grapes, apples, pomegranates, and pears along with vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicums, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and potatoes. "These are particularly popular during the winter season. While Romanian consumers appreciate high-quality produce, they can be price-sensitive. However, there is a growing market for premium products among certain segments. We do all fruits and vegetables, but less bananas. We also import melons, passion fruit, physalis, leeks, celeriac, pears, carrots also organic products. Furthermore, we import from all over the world, especially from long distances. We import both directly from producers worldwide and through Holland, depending on the product, seasonality, and logistics," states Ghilerdea.
Romania has a growing economy with full integration into the European Union. This enables greater movement of goods, services, and people. The U.S. has also lifted restrictions allowing Romanians to travel without a visa for up to 90 days.
"We are seeing more Romanians traveling internationally as Europe continues to open up. With Romania's full integration into Schengen and the lifting of U.S. visa restrictions, there's a greater sense of mobility and freedom for Romanians. This is also reflected in the logistics sector—trucks can now move more freely across borders within the EU, with fewer barriers, streamlining the transportation of goods like fresh produce. This makes it easier to source and distribute products from across Europe and beyond, benefiting both consumers and businesses. We anticipate 2025 to be at least as good as 2024, with significant growth in some product lines, along with expanding our service-providing capabilities to both external clients and internal," concludes Ghilerdea.
For more information:
Ilie Ghilerdea
Select Fruits
Tel: +40 747 237 444
ilie.ghilerdea@selectfruits.ro
www.selectfruits.ro