Members of the Moldova Fruct Association, supported by USAID's Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity in Moldova Project, recently marked their participation in the RO Fruits & Vegetables Show, 2024 edition. The event, a hallmark of the fresh vegetables and fruits sector, was orchestrated by Modern Buyer, targeting industry professionals and spotlighting consumption trends, innovations, and cooperative strategies.
Stefan Bitlan, director of Fani Ltd, emphasized the significance of the Romanian market, noting its logistical proximity and consumer preferences akin to local markets. Bitlan highlighted direct interactions with Romanian retail chain representatives, including Metro Cash&Carry, Carrefour, Lidl, Profi, Auchan, and Diana, and observed a notable demand for apples, particularly club varieties, alongside a 23-percent surge in grapes and apricots demand.
Carrefour shared insights into its collaboration with Romanian producers, ensuring a steady supply of fresh, locally sourced products through partnerships with 29 cooperatives, encompassing over 350 farmers. This initiative also focuses on enhancing storage and production capacities.
Shifts in Romanian consumer preferences towards quality, taste, and benefits over price were identified, with fruits and vegetables comprising 8.1 percent of the Romanian consumption basket in 2024, experiencing a 14-percent sales increase from the previous year, as per Nielsen data.
Alexandra Bicu, a marketing specialist at Moldova Fruct Association, reported a substantial growth in Moldovan fruit exports to Romania, particularly apples, at the season's start. Bicu underscored the importance for producers and exporters to heed trends such as innovation, healthy lifestyles, sustainability, private labels, e-commerce, environmental protection, and catering to Generation Z's preferences. She also noted a shift towards plastic-free packaging, with an increased use of cardboard, casseroles, and paper bags for B2C transactions.
The first 10 months of 2024 saw Moldova exporting 20,000 tons of apples, 16,000 tons of grapes, and 12,000 tons of plums to Romania, indicating a growing export volume.
Source: moldpres