Over 50 countries have experienced the unique taste of Moldovan fruits. The destinations include states in Africa, Asia, North America, and the Pacific. The journey of Moldovan fruits can take up to 80 days for destinations like India or Laos. Journalist Vitalie Dogaru discussed the success stories of Moldovan exporters on the ‘National Consensus’ program on Rlive.
Economic analyst Veaceslav Ionita stated that today, only a few countries continue to dominate certain fruit exports but that exploring new markets could bring results in a few years. Ionita emphasized that producers should focus on countries that offer the highest added value rather than just the destination itself.
“Until last year, we were exporting cherries to only two to five countries, but last year that number increased to 14. Over the past ten years, we have exported plums to 40 countries. In recent years, we have also exported grapes to 55 countries. Afghanistan, Cameroon, Congo, Iraq, Laos, Hong Kong, Qatar, Tanzania, Oman, and Palau are just a few of the more exotic destinations where Moldovan fruits have been shipped,” the analyst said.
Iurie Fala, the executive director of the ‘Moldova-Fruct’ Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruits, stated that the geography of exports is changing from year to year. Sales of apples in the Russian market have halved since Russia invaded Ukraine, while they have doubled in the European market. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has increased the number of Moldovan apples consumers in the Persian Gulf.
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”There is demand everywhere, but some destinations are very far away. At the same time, we are at the epicenter of political crises that have affected logistics routes. We need to focus on a short supply chain. A truck carrying apples from Moldova to the United Kingdom takes up to five days, but transporting a container with the same amount of apples to India takes between 73 and 80 days because we must navigate around Africa via Gibraltar,” Iurie Fala mentioned.
In 2023, the Republic of Moldova exported record quantities of fruits. It included nearly 17,000 tons of cherries, 78,000 tons of plums, and 55,000 tons of grapes.