The Russian market for fresh fruit and vegetables could double in size within the next five years, meaning that there may be even more opportunities for European growers and exporters, delegates to FRESH 2010 in St Petersburg heard last week.
More than 250 delegates from 25 countries attended FRESH 2010 in the Russian city between 14-15 April, with more than 60 per cent of the delegates hailing from the home nation itself.
According to Ramon Rey, president of European fresh produce association Freshfel, Russia is passing through a period of rapid growth, with the market having grown by over 400 per cent since the start of the current decade.
For exporters looking to enter Russia, Mr Rey said there was the further prospect that the market could still double in size within the next five years.
“The EU exports more than 200m tonnes of fresh produce to the Russian market every year - it is responsibility of the entire sector to provide high quality fruit and vegetables,” he said.
“We have great products and must not jeopardise this unique position.”
Boris Planer from retail market analyst Planet Retail told delegates that Russia is aiming to produce 80 per cent of its own fruit and vegetables by 2020; a goal he described as “realistic and achievable in the long-term”.
However, Ferran Cabrera from Spanish exporter-marketer Anecoop, which last year established its own Russian subsidiary Agrikoop, said his company was aiming to develop an active presence in the Russian market “52 weeks a year”.
Mr Cabrera, who heads up Anecoop Praha in the Czech Republic, said that the company was looking to market products from other producing countries to maintain a year-round supply to the country.
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