Berries producers to diversify markets

Chisinau, Dec. 19 /MOLDPRES/- Berries producers in Moldova need to diversify their markets to be able to develop further. Dmitri Dodica, executive director of the Association Pomusoarele Moldovei made the statement at a workshop dedicated to the berries market in 2022 and forecasts for 2023.

Attending the event were over 40 producers of different types of bacifera, who confirmed that the berries sector was extremely affected in 2022 by the climate conditions and the regional crisis generated by the war in Ukraine. These have led to an increase in working capital costs, logistics costs, which has caused a decline in harvest and a drastic reduction in exports to traditional markets as well as local consumption.

This situation leads berries producers to plant resistant varieties and demanded by buyers, to look for new export markets, as well as to opt for freezing the products to extend the storage period until the products are delivered to the foreign market.

Oleg Calestru, representative of the Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity in Moldova, recommended berries producers to join efforts to apply advanced production technologies because they will be able to have large volumes of berries, homogeneous quality, post-harvest infrastructure development possibilities and favorable price negotiation power. "USAID will support the initiatives of the berries sector to increase the competitiveness of the fruit in the local and international market, because it is a sector with growth prospects and multiple opportunities for the inhabitants of rural communities," said Calestru.

In 2022, Moldovan producers exported about 1.4 thousand tons of strawberries, while in 2021 twice as many strawberries were exported. The situation is similar for raspberries, which recorded exports of 633 tons in 2022, while in 2021 - 1.3 thousand tons. At the same time, about 660 tons of frozen berries were exported in 2022, while in 2021 about 700 tons were exported.

Photo: agroexpert.md