World Food Moscow, successful 30th anniversary edition of the Russian fair

In September, the 30th World Food exhibition took place in Moscow, where over 660 producers from 31 countries displayed their finest products, including many innovations. More than 16,400 visitors representing the food wholesale, retail and food service channels discussed business opportunities with the exhibitors. Visitors arrived from 75 countries and 82 Russian regions. The Fruit & Vegetables and Healthy Food sections attracted 32% and 33% of visitors respectively.
The fair featured an intensive business programme, which included a food business forum, a retail academy, a focus on new strategies for food business operators, e-grocery, an evaluation of the fresh fruit & vegetables category, an organic World Food competition, and more. 
Among the retail trends highlighted by the speakers were the expansion of the hard discounter format, the rise in online trade of FMCG, and the strengthening of top-retailers’ positions.
Over 100 speakers, leaders in the Russian retail sector, shared their experience with 1,600 Russian and foreign delegates. Participants stated that they made multiple contacts at the dynamic fair. The next edition of World Food is planned for September 2022.

Barta Export comes from Mexico to Moscow

Pedro Barragan, CEO of Barta Export, a brand of the Fruticultores Robles Company, with consolidated producers in the Tierra Caliente region of western Mexico, said:

“Participation at the World Food Moscow exhibition is a chance for us to find customers in this new and interesting market.
“Our growers have more than 20 years of experience in the cultivation of exotic fruits. We offer a large assortment, including but not limiting to avocado, mango, lemon, and berries, available throughout the year,” said Barragan.

He added that some of the volume is organic. Barta cares for its land and its people by not using any chemical additives, synthetic compounds or genetically modified species.

TopFruit supplies top quality ready-to-eat avocado

“At World Food this year, we have met a lot of new suppliers from Peru, Dominican Republic and Columbia and set up a shipment programme for the coming season,” said Daria Mironenko, CEO of TopFruit, based in Saint Petersburg.

Some years ago, the firm came up with the idea of importing Hass avocado to Russia, ripening it on-site and supplying the food service channel. That is how the TopFruit brand began to offer a premium class product that is sought after and appreciated by end consumers. The team believed in the demand from Russian restaurants, realising that chefs encounter the everyday problem of needing to find ready-to-eat avocado of top quality. TopFruit imports more than 60 tons of avocado each month, which it supplies to over 1,000 restaurants in Saint Petersburg and Moscow.

RGS inspires Russian consumers

“We are permanently expanding our assortment as this enables us to eliminate risks while also bringing new fresh fruit tastes to Russian consumers. We want our products to inspire them. For example, we were the first to import coconuts from Brazil. Throughout the year, we supply mango, avocado and pineapples to our clients, focusing not only on ensuring our fruit has a longer shelf life, but also on guaranteeing taste, brix and colouring,” said Julia Ten, general director of RGS Llc, one of the largest fruit importers in St Petersburg.

Ten points out that there is a new trend to pay attention to brix levels in fruit, with most Russian supermarkets measuring the level in pineapples, melons, mango, stone fruit and even mandarins.

Delta Agrar, apple club specialists in Eastern Europe

In the spring of 2007, Delta Agrar built one of the most modern apple orchards in Serbia and extended its fruit production to the east of the country in 2017. The orchard now covers 700ha and is located in an area with excellent climate and soil conditions.

“Apples are our primary product,” said Djorje Dzodic, from the firm’s import department.
“We grow club apple varieties, such as Modi, Kiku, Pink Lady, Evelina, Red Moon, etc. We are the only member of the manufacturers club in Eastern Europe.”

Delta Agrar’s daughter company, Delta Frukt Moscow, was founded in 2016, with the aim of importing and distributing fruit and vegetables to the Russian market. In addition to apples, the firm’s assortment includes citrus, stone fruit and exotic fruit from all around the world.