Paco Borrás, Anecoop

Spanish fresh produce marketing organisation Anecoop hasofficially launched its new Russian subsidiary, named Agrikoop, which will bededicated to selling the group’s exports of citrus, persimmon, stonefruit andvegetables directly to Russian retailers and wholesalers.

Speaking at the recent World Food Moscow trade fair in theRussian capital, Anecoop sales director Paco Borrás told Fruitnet that the newcompany would allow the Valencia-based group to establish a direct commercialrelationship with the market.

“The plan is to deliver our products to the final point ofsale, while it will also enable us to improve our mechanisms for exporting toRussia,” he said.

Mr Borrás said that Russia was likely to become a moreimportant market for Anecoop in future as he anticipated that levels ofconsumption would increase in the country and move more into line with those ofwestern countries.

He also emphasised that in spite of some of the “challenges”in the Russian market, such as a difficult customs regime and problemssurrounding payments, it was a country where Anecoop “had to be positioned froma strategic point of view”.

Mr Borrás said that Anecoop currently exports between 6,000and 7,000 tonnes of fresh produce to Russia every year, primarily comprisingcitrus, vegetables, stonefruit and persimmon.