Tuesday 10 September was duly noted in the agenda of the Moldovan stone fruit sector. In the presence of partners, investors and fellow growers and exporters, a Unitec optical sorting line and Sorma Group packaging line was inaugurated at PDG Fruct, a grower, packer and exporter of stone fruit.
The fruit - mainly plums - that was sorted manually in previous years, now passes cameras that sort by colour, size and internal quality.
The plums are automatically packed into 1 kg punnets, ready for export.
A crowd at the official inauguration
But before the guests were offered a tour of the new packing station, Zinaida Plămădeală, marketing manager at PDG Fruct, extended a warm welcome to everyone.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Șerban Vasile (first from right) also took the floor, praising the young company's entrepreneurial spirit. Ali L. Ezzatyar, head of the USAID programme in Moldova (centre in the front row), said the US development agency had been supporting Moldova's agriculture and horticulture sector for 15 years. Food safety consultant Andrei Cumpanici (seated far left), talked about the importance of the right storage temperature for fruit quality.
Iurie Fală, CEO of trade association Moldova Fruct, warned that the successes achieved in the export of plums, apricots and cherries, among others, should not make Moldovan growers and exporters "drunk" and that they should continue to pay plenty of attention to varietal innovation, implementation of technology, promotion of the product and obtaining certifications. He asked the state secretary to remove some bureaucratic obstacles for a more business-friendly environment.
On the new line, more than half of the fruit that PDG Fruct sorts, is stone fruit from its own crop, but other growers and exporters also use the co-packer's services.
For more information:
Zinaida Plămădeală (marketing manager)
PDG Fruct
National Road R1, km. 49
Niscani (Calarasi) - Moldova
Tel: +373 68 99 55 33
[email protected]
www.pdgfruits.com