The first container of Italian kiwifruit to be shipped directly toChina has been dispatched by leading export group Compagnia Italianadella Frutta (CIF).
The company, which is a commercial partnership between ApofruitItalia, Alegra, Mazzoni and a number of other private companies, sentthe consignment to Shanghai under the Made in Blu brand.
The container is due to take 20 days to arrive at the Chinese port,where local officials will be joined by representatives from both CIFand Italian marketing and research agency CSO.
The opening of the Chinese market to Italian kiwifruit, which wasconfirmed towards the end of last year, is seen as a major steppingstone towards the Italian fresh produce industry’s goal of expandinginto new markets worldwide.
China in particular, with its sizeable population and relativelyhigh levels of per-capita fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, isseen as a key component in this strategy, commented Made in Bludirector Furio Mazzotti.
“The Chinese market is a big unknown and undoubtedly there will beobstacles we need to overcome, but we are also convinced that it canrepresent a huge opportunity for several of our products, among themkiwifruit, for which Italy is the global leader in terms ofproduction,” he said.
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