Poland, one of the world's leading apple producers and the largest in Europe, is targeting theMalaysian marketas part of its new focus on this part of the region.
Paulina Kopek, secretary general of the Polish Fruit and Vegetable Distributors Association, said that due to sanctions imposed on both countries, Poland was unable to export to its two main traditional markets, Russia and Belarus, and was now looking for new markets.Relations with the Ukrainian War.
"Our goal is to discover and researchthe Malaysian market... We know that apples are the favourite fruit of many Malaysians," she told Bernama in an interview at the product launch on Thursday night.
She was here with a six-member delegation from the Fruit Union (Unia Owocowa), the largest fruit association in Poland, representing producer groups and their fruit producers, exporters and distributors, for the launch of products in Malaysia. five-day visit.
The theme of their apple campaign is "Fresh fruit from Polish orchards. Apples from the heart of Europe in Malaysia".
Kopec explained that Malaysia's current apple importers include New Zealand, Italy, South Africa and the United States.
“We also want to get a piece of the Malaysian apple market. If our product campaign is successful, we hope to send the first shipment to Malaysia by October or November. First, we are investigating the shipment of about 3,000 tons of apples . If this becomes a reality, it will be a good start," she further said.
In response to a question, Kopek said the association was already negotiating with Malaysian fruit importers on the possibility to start exporting apples to Malaysia as soon as possible.
There are 30 brands of apples produced in Poland, including Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Red Chief, Red Jonaprince and Najdared.
According to statistics, one third of apples grown in the European Union (EU) come from Poland.Poland exported more than 922,000 tons of apples in 2021.
Apple production in EU member states in 2021 is estimated at 11.7 million tons.
Egypt is currently the largest market for Polish apples.Other markets include Israel, India, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
For another question, Kopek said that besides Malaysia, they are also focusing on new markets in the region, namely Thailand and Indonesia, and even the African continent.
"In addition to apples, we are also concerned about the possibility of exporting berries such as blueberries and strawberries to Malaysia," she said.
Kopec points out that apples in Poland are produced in accordance with the principles of sustainable agriculture and the European Green Agreement, with quality assurance confirmed by appropriate standards (including GLOBAL GA P) and certificates.
"Polish apples are considered special because of the unique climate prevailing in our country as well as suitable soil and cultivation techniques," she said.
