China is the largest producer of processed fruits and vegetables, including raisins and beans in the world. At the same time, the PRC imports large quantities of dried fruits and nuts to meet the growing demand in the country.
So, Uzbekistan supplies to China a number of dried fruits, such as peanuts, walnuts, apricot seeds, dried apricots, prunes, dried grapes, etc. The share of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the total import of raisins in China is more than 40% (1st place among world exporters). However, Chinese importers, for the purpose of its further processing, buy it by weight – 10-25 kg, not packed.
Currently, the prepackaged food market in China is developing faster than the bulk market. These products are more preferred by consumers because they meet higher hygiene standards and are sold in a variety of flavors that can meet the different needs of consumers.
Against this backdrop, the ever-increasing trend towards healthy lifestyles is encouraging Chinese consumers to consume healthy snacks and nutritious foods. With the increase in employment of the population in the PRC, the consumption of snacks and products in convenient portioned packages is growing, since such products are used as quick snacks and also replace main meals. The key purchase criteria are the brand and origin of the product.
Moreover, one of the specific characteristics of the Chinese market is high competition. The growth of various segments of the consumer market attracts a large number of players, and therefore the rate of filling new market niches is one of the highest in the world. In doing so, the Chinese government has issued a series of regulations strictly regulating the quality of imported food in order to ensure that all goods meet inspection and quarantine standards.
As a result of marketing and exhibition events initiated by the Embassy of our country in Beijing, together with the involved departments of Uzbekistan, in large cities of China, lengthy studies, as well as lengthy negotiations with importers, including on the approval of product samples, applied stickers and packaging design, Uzbek finished products to the PRC market. In particular, within the framework of the contract concluded with the Chinese company, the Tashkent-based Cherry-pick Production LLC began deliveries to the PRC of packed (200 g each) assorted dried fruits under the Uzbek brand VITA BOOM. At the same time, additional income from the supply of finished products is 2 times more than from the export of raw materials.
At a time when the issue of increasing the production chain of competitive finished products in our country is relevant, these steps will allow exporters to increase volumes and expand the range of production of products with high added value.
It should also be emphasized that in order to accelerate the sale of finished products to the buyer, the delivery of a trial batch was carried out by Uzbekistan airways.
It is noted that e-commerce allows users to shop for verified international brands preferred by users due to concerns about the safety and quality of local food. In doing so, e-commerce provides a broader reach and effective marketing opportunities for merchants.
For these purposes, as well as increasing the recognition of Uzbek products, with the active participation of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the PRC, a set of issues is being worked out on the placement of these products on popular retail electronic trading platforms in China.
One can argue that today new opportunities are opening up for Uzbek producers and exporters of dried fruits/food products to supply their products to the world’s largest Chinese market.
