Mlekovita branded milk is seen on shelves at a supermarket in Warsaw, Poland, Nov. 5, 2020. The European Union (EU) is one of the largest milk suppliers to Chinese market, with Poland accounting for a share of 12.7%, according to Director of Polish Milk Chamber Agnieszka Maliszewska. Statistics from Poland's Ministry of Finance show that, despite the impact of COVID-19, the export of dairy products from Poland to China grew by 70% year on year in the first half of 2020. Recently, batches of Polish dairy products took freight trains to China for the occassion of Single's Day shopping festival in the country. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/Xinhua)
WARSAW, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- On an autumn morning with drizzling rain and shivery wind, a special express train from Poland arrived in central China's Wuhan, bringing over 1,100 tons of milk products for China's annual online shopping spree in mid-November.
As one of the major agricultural producers and exporters in the European Union (EU), Poland is well-known for products ranging from dairy, poultry and meat to various kinds of fruits and crops.
By gradually gaining reputation, milk is seen as an iconic product from Poland among Chinese consumers, setting an example and paving the way for other promising merchandise from the European country to enter the Chinese market.
BURGEONING INTO ICON
Mlekovita, Lowicz, Laciate ... dairy brands purchased by Poles in everyday life can also be found on China's popular e-commerce platforms, such as Tmall.com and JD.com.
As the shopping carnival of Singles' Day that falls on Nov. 11 comes, the massive shipment helps retailers replenish stock for the most important sale season, according to VICI Group, co-organizer of the "dairy product express."
Agata Maziarczyk-Pisarska, VICI's chief commercial officer, believes that Polish milk is competitive in the Chinese market.
"Chinese customers love Polish milk because we provide the highest quality," she told Xinhua. "I'm happy to take part in organizing the dairy product express. As soon as the train arrived in Wuhan, I've got the enquiry for the next two!"
"China is currently the largest importer of dairy products in the world, and there are indications that this trend will continue over the next few years," Agnieszka Maliszewska, director of the Polish Chamber of Milk of the country's Agricultural Ministry, told Xinhua.
"The EU, including Poland, is the largest milk supplier to the Chinese market with a share of 12.7 percent," Maliszewska said, adding that the chamber has for several years been engaging in "Diary Treasures," a campaign aimed at promoting Polish dairy products in China.
Andrzej Juchniewicz, speaking fluent Mandarin, works in Shanghai as chief of the Poland Investment and Trade Agency's China office.
Praising the "dairy product express," he said it is not only the first train of such kind from Poland, but also the first from the EU, and that he expects milk products can be branded as an icon for Poland, just like red wine for France.
OTHER PRODUCTS FLOWING IN
According to the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, about 80 percent of the agricultural exports go to the European tables. In this context, Poland has long hoped to tap the Chinese market and improve trade with the world's second largest economy.
"Indeed, Poland is a leader in poultry production in the EU, and its beef industry also has a huge potential," Maziarczyk-Pisarska said, stressing her commitment to bringing more products to China.
"I think, especially in the context of a tough situation in EU market resulted from the pandemic, Poland should definitely look for exporting to China."
Dedicated to promoting Poland and Polish products, the likes of Juchniewicz have been working tirelessly on the third China International Import Expo (CIIE), at which Chinese companies signed contracts on importing dairy and other agricultural products from Poland worth 15 million U.S. dollars.
During a CIIE press conference, Magdalena Czechonska, a diplomat from the Polish embassy in China, said that the first half of the year saw a 70-percent year-on-year increase in Poland's dairy products export to China despite the pandemic-induced impact.
The diplomat noted that Polish dairy products have proved its quality as Chinese consumers' demands booming even in this special time, paving the way for other products to enter the Chinese market. Enditem
A single purchase
