Uzbekistan has set a course to increase the supply of packaged dried fruits to China

China is the largest producer of processed fruits and vegetables, including raisins and beans worldwide. At the same time, China imports dried fruits-nuts in large volumes to meet the growing demand in the country.

Thus, Uzbekistan supplies a number of dried fruits to China, such as peanuts, walnuts, apricot kernels, dried apricots, prunes, dried grapes, etc., for example, the share of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the total import of raisins to China is more than 40% (1st place among world exporters). However, Chinese importers for the purpose of its further processing buy in bulk - 10-25 kg, not packed.

Currently, the market of packaged products in China is developing faster than the market of products sold by weight. Consumers prefer such products more, as they meet higher standards of hygiene and are sold with different taste qualities that can satisfy different consumer needs.

Against this background, the increasing trend of a healthy lifestyle encourages Chinese consumers to eat healthy snacks and foods with high nutritional value. With the increase in employment of the population in China, the consumption of snacks and products in convenient portion packages is growing, since such products are used as quick snacks, and also replace basic meals. The key criteria for the purchase are the brand and origin of the product.

In addition, 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. At the same time, the Chinese government has issued a number of regulations strictly regulating the quality of imported food in order to ensure that all goods comply with standards related to inspection and quarantine.

As a result of marketing and exhibition events initiated by the Embassy of our country in Beijing, together with the relevant departments of Uzbekistan, in major cities of China, lengthy studies, as well as lengthy negotiations with importers, including on the approval of product samples, applied sticker and packaging design, Uzbek finished products were able to enter the Chinese market. In particular, within the framework of the contract concluded with a Chinese company, the Tashkent enterprise Cherry-pick Production LLC began deliveries to China of packaged (200 g each) dried fruits in assortment 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 the volume 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 you to make purchases of goods of proven international brands, which users prefer, due to concerns related to the safety and quality of local food products. At the same time, e-commerce provides a wider reach and effective marketing opportunities for sellers.

For these purposes, as well as to increase the recognition of Uzbek products, with the active participation of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in China, a set of issues on the placement of these products on popular retail electronic trading platforms in China is being worked out.

However, it can be argued 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.