MILAN, Sept. 9 (Class Editori) – The good news has come from the ICE director in Beijing, Giampaolo Bruno: "in the first six months of 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian fruit and vegetable export to China has increased by 75% compared to the same period of 2019 and the export of kiwis, which is ruled by a recent agreement between Italy and China, has surely contributed to this positive result". In absolute values, as Bruno has pointed out, the Chinese import growth of fruit and vegetables from Italy has grown from 12.5 dollars up to about 22 million, according to data by Chinese customs.
This is an important signal on the occasion of the opening of the second day of Macfrut Digital (www.macfrutdigital.com), which combines the Rimini and the Cesena Exhibitions on the online channel, waiting for coming back physically in the Pavilions on 2021, from May 4 to 6.
"The fruit and vegetable trade between Italy and China has a potential development which is still to be entirely understood, but Italy has already started to record an upswing in export by 87% in the first months of 2020"; as Ma Hongtao- General Director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Centre and Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China- has confirmed, "today, trade exchanges between China and Europe are like a magnet able to attract attention from all over the world".
"China and Italy are key trade partners, as they are located at the ends of the ancient and new Silk Roads. Today, our new mission is to link Asia and Europe and promote the trade between East and West countries; the fruit and vegetable one, in particular, might be an excellent starting point for this process", as Mrs. Ma has added.
In the phase before COVID-19, the balance of trade was closed with a surplus in favor of China amounting at about 100 million dollars. The difference between the 130 million dollars of fruit and vegetables that the Asian giant exports to Italy and the 26 million dollars of Italian fresh products sold in China, 98% of which are kiwi, which have made the export turnover grow.
The products exported from China to Italy are garlic, ginger, exotic fruit and Asian vegetables, while Italy is working well with kiwis, whose export experienced an increase in the first two months of this year thanks to the visit of the Chinese ministry of agriculture. Italy also exports lemons and red oranges, even if rates are lower, and it is waiting for the achievement of bilateral agreements in order to open the Asian market also to yellow oranges, apples and pears.
Until tomorrow, on the special online platform provided for this edition (www.macfrutdigital.com), there will be 400 exhibitors coming from all over the world: 87 only from China, which represent the hope for a new export route. Visitors and buyers will remotely meet. Enrolled visitors will be able to have access – for free – to each digital stand, exchange ideas, ask for information and make contacts in order to organize possible business meetings; exhibitors, at the same time, will use the same online spaces in order to meet buyers.
2020 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Italy. The National Pavilion China-Agri at Macfrut Digital represents an important chapter in the history of the Chinese-Italian relations.
Many Chinese exhibitors wanted to take part in the online debate. "We are really open to international relations, we work together in order to ensure high-quality products both in terms of export and import and we pay great attention to food safety", Elvis Lai, general manager of Hejiang Agricultural Development, has underlined.
The Chinese pavilion at Macfrut Digital is a real National Pavilion which offers 30 kinds of fresh fruit, processed fruit, more than 20 kinds of fresh vegetables, processed plant products and processing machines.
The theme of regulations which have to be adjusted, often with a great effort and long times, is a problem also reiterated by the Vice-President of the agricultural commission of the European Parliament, Paolo De Castro. "We are working really hard, because Asia and China are strategic export areas for European agricultural producers. We can improve our agreements, by accelerating the specific protocols of each products and enhancing the biological supply chains and the certified crops at a low environmental impact."
The next Made in Italy products which may land in China could be pears, after red oranges, lemons, kiwis, spices, vegetable preserves and hazelnuts.
Chinese export addressed to Italy is focused on frozen vegetables, but as the producers who exhibit at the Macfrut Digital- among which there are Sinolychee, Baishun, Beibuwan and Zizania China- have restated, there are many opportunities also in the fresh field, starting from Litchi and Durian, the king of Asian fruit. In the virtual windows of their pavilions, Chinese producers have brought 30 kinds of fruit, including the fresh and the processed ones, and over 20 kinds of fresh vegetables, processed vegetable products and processing machineries.
Some analyses conducted by ICE on the Chinese market have shown an ever-increasing consumers inclination to the purchase of high-quality products, characterized by a high food safety. In terms of fruit and vegetables, therefore, Chinese consumption will move to types which are more similar to the European ones, and this may foster Italian producers if they will be able to join forces and make a decisive step toward internationalisation by providing companies, often the small ones, with all the skills needed to act on global markets.
"China and Italy have been both affected by the pandemic; however, they are two historic civilizations, linked by ancient and modern Silk Roads; the two countries have a new mission: connecting Asia and Europe for the world's benefit", as China-AGRI has explained.
In particular, the year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations establishment between Italy and China. The China-AGRI National Pavilion, with a large staircase and different products, will surely represent an important chapter of the Chinese-Italian relations history. Many characteristics of the Chinese fruit and vegetables are related to natural environments and mirror the diversity and beauty of life.
"We believe that Macfrut may be a great opportunity and exhibition window. Through the window, we will exhibit fruit and vegetables. Behind the window, we will exhibit a fascinating Chinese landscape".
Export accounts for 8.4 billion out of the 13 billion of Made in Italy fruit and vegetables, as Renzo Piraccini- President of McFrut- has stated.
"Between January and May, export was able to reach +7% compared to the same period in 2019. A decisive turning point", as he has explained.
Outside Europe, instead, the most significant participations are those from Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Africa and Asia with Thailand, where the export negotiation of Italian apples was signed few months ago.
(Source:Class Editori)
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