A cooperative of Fairtrade-certified dried fruit and nut producers from Kyrgyzstan is looking for new business with European importers.
Wealth of Kyrgyz Forest sources a range of produce from 200 small scale farmers and foragers in the central Asian country. The company already supplies wild walnuts into a Dutch importer, as well as doing business with Turkey and Russia.
Exhibiting at the Amsterdam Produce Show last week, manager Borbieva Rakhat said the company is “looking to Europe for new clients”.
As well as wild walnuts and a range of other nuts, Wealth of Kyrgyz Forest also supplies dried fruit preserved in honey, dried fruit and nut mixes, and niche berries such as the barberry. It has a seasonal supply of other produce, including mushrooms in spring and herbs in summer.
Produce is sourced from around 40,000 hectares of wild Kyrgyzstan forest, Rakhat said, offering a unique producer story in contrast to commercial plantations.
