Russia, Iran buy more bananas even amid the economic crisis

More fresh cavendish bananas from the Philippines are in big demand in non-traditional markets like Russia and Iran.

Russian trader Andrei Melnicuic of Double D Trade LLC (DDTLLC) based in Washington state USA, disclosed in an email to Davao-based export broker Goldelyonn Export Import (GEI).

Melnicuic told the GEI "the Russian Far East port of Vladivostok is the unloading port for millions of dollars worth of fresh meat and fresh fruits from all over the world."
"Demand for fresh fruits like bananas will always be there because Russian consumers will be looking for them in the fresh markets of Petersburg, Moscow and Vladivostok---and many still prefer the high quality bananas from the Philippines," said Melnicuic.

DDTLLC is currently shipping fresh fruits, vegetables and meat to their own marketing branches in St. Petersburg, Russia and Vladivostok.

These food products are exported there directly by exporters from the US, Argentina, Chile, Vietnam, China and the Philippines, according to Melnicuic.

Backed up by global buying offices worldwide, the Russian trading firm also runs its own big cold storage facilities in the land-locked city of St. Petersburg and the port city of Vladivostok in the Russian Federation.

The buying operations of most Russian companies, said Melnicuic, has not been affected much by the current global recession now crippling many of the world's top economies.

"With or without a recession, people all over the world still have to eat to live normally," said Melnicuic in one of his emails.

Iran on the other hand, has been in regular contacts directly with several suppliers and exporters in Davao for weekly shipments of fresh Cavendish bananas to the port of Bandar Abbas in the Middle East.

A spokesman from Goldelyonn said one Iranian fruit trader Salvu Micallef of Super Fruits Company Ltd. had been sending regular inquiries asking for regular weekly shipments of Cavendish bananas from Davao to Iran.

"Even the big multinational firms here are already shipping regularly to Iran, but other Iranian traders are trying to get their supply of cheaper bananas from small independent growers for bigger profits," the spokesman said.


Source: mindanaotimes.com.ph

Publication date: 1/27/2009