Currently there are no obstacles preventing the establishment of exports of Ukrainian cherries to the Chinese market. However, the volume of premium cherries, which is of great interest to Chinese consumers, is extremely limited in Ukraine today. In 2018-2019, Ukrainian growers exported cherries to China, but this year export volumes were minimal given the poor harvest in Ukraine. This opinion was expressed by Taras Bashtannik, president of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA).

Issues related to opportunities, barriers and risks for Ukrainian fruit and vegetable producers entering the Chinese market will be discussed during the online debate » Fruit and vegetable exports to China: barriers and opportunities for Ukrainian producers «, which will be held on Wednesday in December. February 16, 2020 at 11:00 am on the Zoom platform. This event is free, but All attendees must register online prior to the event.

UHA President Taras Bashtannik considers blueberries to be Ukraine's second most promising fruit product for export to China. However, when it comes to blueberry exports, volumes will not increase enough in the coming years. It takes several years to spend on the bureaucratic procedures associated with obtaining permits. “However, blueberries are in a promising export position. After all, China is a net importer of this berry, ”said Taras Bashtannik.

Katerina Zvereva, director of development at UHA, points out that blueberries are quite an expensive berry on the foreign market. Currently it can be transported to China by air, while UHA specialists are also studying the possibility of coordinating rail transport as this delivery method is 4-5 times cheaper. Ms. Zvereva points out that the season for supplying fresh blueberries from Ukraine is from July to September. The main export varieties supplied by Ukrainian producers to foreign markets are Duke, Bluegold, Bluecrop, Elliot and Liberty.

Furthermore, the frozen soft fruit segment can be considered as a successful example of Ukrainian fruit products entering the Chinese market, according to the Development Director of UHA. “This market was opened to a Ukrainian manufacturer two years ago. Last year, the Rivneholod company exported several thousand tons of products to China. This is quite a large volume, given that the total annual export volume of Ukrainian frozen berries is 22.000-23.000 tons, ”says Kateryna Zvereva.

Taras Golub, advisor to the deputy prime minister of Ukraine on European and Euro-Atlantic integration, points out that today the issues relating to the establishment of food exports are one of the most important. “To accelerate the establishment of interaction on this issue, we are actively seeking contacts with specialized associations. I see we have direct opportunities for this. That is why today it is important to understand what priority issues we should focus on, ”says Taras Golub.

In his opinion, today it is extremely important to organize a primary dialogue with market players on the establishment of stable exports of Ukrainian products to China. “First of all, we want to hear your opinions, wishes and problems. So, the next stage would be to move on to a substantive dialogue on priority products, ”says Taras Golub.

Mr. Golub also adds that when entering the Chinese market, Ukrainian companies must clearly understand the core competencies of their company. “You don't just need to find a partner. It is necessary to establish a network of participants in the chain and maintain good relations with them so that this chain does not break. Therefore, today it is important to identify companies interested in exporting certain products to the Chinese market and to discuss this issue with the Ukrainian-Chinese intergovernmental commission. After all, if he gets the support of Chinese government agencies, it will be a completely different level of discussion, ”Taras Golub noted.

He also adds that in all probability, it is possible to develop a pilot project for the supply of Ukrainian blueberries. "This will be much more effective than attempts by individual companies to discover the Chinese market on their own," concludes the advisor to the deputy prime minister of Ukraine.