Moldovan table grapes will not be competitive on foreign markets if they are not properly packed, ADP

The table grapes grown in Moldova will not become a competitive product on the foreign markets if they are not offered in package, said Conrad Fritsch, the director of the Agribusiness Development Project (ADP), quoted by Info-Prim Neo. At the Table Grapes Forum on November 20, Fritsch said that among the measures that must be taken to promote the Moldovan products are the identification of the sorts appropriate for the target market, proper keeping and packing and creation of a number of demonstrative plots that can be used as training centers for the agricultural producers from all over the country. “The exportation of products in bulk, as it was done in the past, is now unacceptable for markets. The table grapes must be preserved and packed in accordance with consumers’ demands. Even if the package increases the costs of transporting the merchandise to the market, it brings an additional value and the selling price is better,” Conrad Fritsch explained. According to the expert, if Moldova does not pack the table grapes intended for export, it would not be able to cope with the competition on the developing markets of the Commonwealth of Independent States or on the EU markets. The ADP director praised the Association of Table Grapes Producers and Exporters for working out the national brand and logotype that they will promote. According to a study carried out by Magenta Consulting Company, a large part of the consumers of table grapes in Russia want the grapes to have the logo indicated on the package and that their quality is certified, Conrad Fritsch said. The attractive exterior is the main demand as regards the quality of the grapes, the expert said. The world grapes yield in 2007 was 66.3 million tonnes. About 30% of the grapes are eaten fresh. According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the grapes harvest this year would total 700,000 tonnes. The Table Grapes Forum was organized by the Agribusiness Development Project, which is implemented by the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs with the financial assistance of the United States Agency for International Development and the Association of Table Grapes Producers and Exporters.