In the context of the shift in international markets due to the crisis in Eastern Europe, many exporters have had to reduce their shipments to Russia, while others have filled the place. This is the case of Fresh produce exporters from Uzbekistan who have doubled their sale volumes to the Russian market.
For Mr. Ozan Çiftçi, international sales coordinator at the Tashkent based Orient Agro Export, this increase makes sense: "Many countries have imposed sanctions and banned doing business with Russia, while Uzbekistan is a former Soviet republic that produces good quality fruits and vegetables. It is natural that the Uzbek producers fill the new needs of the Russian market."
"Russia has a huge and demanding fresh produce market. They can absorb any production that meets a certain level of quality," adds Mr Ozan.
According to Mr. Ozan, Russian importers, however, have accepted slightly smaller sizes than usual, as is the case with plums from Uzbekistan.
In the case of Orient Agro Export, there was no change in volumes since the grower had steady value exports. The Uzbek producer grows cherry and plums, and exports mainly to Russia, Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
