Macfrut 2018 took place in Uzbekistan and was the perfect occasion to visit the fresh produce market of Tashkent, the capital of the country with a population of 3 million.
Left to right: Fabio Zoboli from Infia, Ulugbek Bekchanov from DAI, Macfrut President Renzo Piraccini and Enrico Turoni from Cermac
The market is currently set up in a rather obsolete location but, within a few months, it will be moved to a new facility built in collaboration with Mercasa, the Spanish market network.
There are two large sections, one destined to producers selling directly and one for traders.
Fruit on the market in the biggest volumes in autumn are table grapes (which Uzbekistan produces and exports), apples, pomegranates, persimmons, Asian pears and European pears including Abate Fetel.
There are also many vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes, garlic, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage as well as many types of salads and other leafy vegetables.
The imported products include Navel oranges from South Africa, kiwis from Iran, lemons from Turkey and tangerines and Fuji apples from China.
Part of the market is dedicated to direct sales and various food items are sold as well as fresh produce.
Overall, the quality of the produce is medium to low and the packaging is rather primitive.
The market doesn't perfectly reflect the quality of the produce in the country. The standard is much higher in supermarkets (see photo below) and the produce destined for exports follows a different channel, with dedicated warehouses equipped with modern technologies.
One of the products that has developed most over the past few years is cherries, which are exported to Russia, South Korea, Arab Emirates and nearby countries. Uzbekistan is the fifth leading cherry producer worldwide. They cannot be exported to China because there is no protocol in place.
Last week, Macfrut's international tour reached Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The first event was held in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and over 100 people took part (producers, exporters, importers, Universities and institutions).
The event was organised by Consorzio Cermac and Macfrut and was an occasion to present the next edition of the International Fresh Produce Fair (Rimini, 9th-11th May 2018) and promote the Italian fresh produce sector, especially since Uzbekistan is a good outlet for technology and nurseries.
Italian companies Rinieri, Ferrari Costruzioni, Forigo, TR Turoni, Ing. Rossi, Infia, Unitec and Fruit Control Equipment attended.
Uzbekistan is one of the countries in Central Asia where the fresh produce sector has strongly developed over the past few years: exports increased from the 279,000 tons of 2012 to the 818,000 of 2016, also thanks to the Russian ban on produce from Europe.
For further information:
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