Moroccan grower-exporter Delassus has revealed that rising demand from Russian consumers for new products and packaging is shaping the company’s current strategy.
“Russia has become one of our most important markets for our snacking tomatoes,” says sales and marketing director Fatiha Charrat. “It is a fascinating market, which shows a lot of interest in new products and packaging and where consumers are constantly requesting higher quality.”
This demand for higher quality standards represents a real challenge for Moroccan growers, according to Delassus, given the complexities surrounding logistics.
“The transit time is around 10 days in the winter season and 16 days over the summer,” said Charrat. “For such delicate products like snacking tomatoes, this is a real challenge. In order to meet our promise of high quality, our research and development department has developed new varieties targeted at the Russian market, with a longer shelf life enabling the product to reach the farthest Russian regions like Siberia while guaranteeing the quality.”
In addition, Delassus is finalising a new packaging concept adapted to the Russian market to further enhance the quality of its products. “This new packaging will be launched in October 2017,” said Charrat.
As for citrus, the Maroc brand remains the must-have product for Russia, Charrat revealed, with Delassus sending half its clementine volumes to the market. The season begins in mid-October and lasts until May.
