A company from Ialoveni rayon in October sent the first truck of fresh fruits to the Auchan Retail Romania trade network. This delivery is the result of the joint efforts undertaken by the members of “Moldova Fruct” Association and UNDP Moldova for diversifying the export markets and categories of buyers of Moldovan fruits, IPN reports, with reference to a press release of UNDP Moldova.

In autumn 2016, over ten fruit producers and exporters from “Moldova Fruct” Association participated with a common stand in the Indagra Food exhibition in Bucharest, with the support provided by the Romanian Government and UNDP Moldova. The interaction with the French distributor representatives, established during that fair, continued with visits to the Association’s orchards and packing facilities.

“We aim to increase every year our share on alternative export markets, and this season we succeeded to export to the EU market. It is an ambitious path, but unavoidable, and the first success brings more confidence in the quality of Moldovan products and their value at the global level,” stated Ion Ionas, director of Ionextrans SRL.

The first fresh grapes and plums appeared on the shops’ shelves at the end of October 2017. The companies plan to extend their cooperation for new types of fruits as well.

Auchan Retail Romania has 33 shops of hypermarket format and intends to open several hundreds of convenience stores. This category of shops will sell new categories of products, among which sliced fruit snacks – a segment in which the Moldovan fruit producers already have some experience.