From 13-16 February 2019, Ukrainian exporters working in the berry sector took part in Biofach 2019 – a leading organic trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, attended by over 15,000 visitors and 1,200 exhibitors – making over 200 business contacts with export potential.
They took part with the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Ukrainian Berries Association (UBA), as part of the 'Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade' project, funded by the European Union under its EU4Business initiative.
The Ukrainian booth showcased fresh, frozen and processed organic berries from eight direct producers (Liga Agro, Agro Organic, iBerry, BigBlue, Family Garden, Oril-Eco, Dvipa, Panfruit Ukraine), and presented a catalogue on the entire berry sector supported by UBA.
Biofach continued sustainability trends from the Fruit Logistica 2019 in Berlin, but with an emphasis on organic produce. Key aspects of the exhibition included modern packaging solutions, new varieties and innovative product presentations. Participation in the trade fair gave the Ukrainian companies an opportunity to present their fresh, dried and frozen organic blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, as well as processed amaranth snacks.
As a result, the participants managed to establish over 200 B2B contacts with potential future cooperation. Clearly, such an opportunity was very useful for further business development and international cooperation.
Participation in Biofach 2019 contributed to the main objective of the project – to support and promote the Ukrainian berry sector at the EU market and to increase awareness of the EU market requirements and capacity building for berry exporters.
The Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access new markets with a focus on the EU, helping SMEs identify and comply with quality and standards to meet international requirements, linking them with buyers along the value chain, and providing cluster support.
