eBUSINESS FOCUS RUSSIA, UKRAINE & KAZAKHSTAN

The Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, through Prodeca, is organising the eBusiness Focus Russia, Ukraine & Kazakhstan.

These are online B2B meetings between Catalan fine food and organic producers and importers and/or gourmet product chains in these countries. 

KEY MARKET DATA

• RUSSIA

With a population of 144 million, Russia remains a market offering attractive opportunities for imported agri-food products not covered by the sanctions. 

Russia's 2014 embargo on European products (fruit, meat, fish, dairy) significantly affected agri-food exports to Russia. The situation remains unchanged and there is no sign the sanctions will be lifted soon. 

In 2021 the Russian food and drink market is seeing a significant recovery that could have a positive effect on exports. 

• UKRAINE

Ukraine is Europe's largest country after the Russian Federation, with 42.8 million inhabitants. 

The Ukraine's good relations with EU countries increase the scope for exporting food and drink products there. 

Local producers need to improve, update and modernise the processing and packaging of their products in order to compete with imports. 

As the economy stabilises and the population's purchasing power grows, consumer sectors such as food and drink have greater opportunities there.

• KAZAKHSTAN 

Located between Russia, China and the Middle East, Kazakhstan, with 18 million inhabitants, has a very strong geostrategic position.

In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected its economy, raising unemployment and reducing household incomes, so Kazakhs are spending more on basic foodstuffs.

Kazakhstan is party to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Treaty between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. 

The EU is Kazakhstan's most important trading partner, accounting for almost 30% of its foreign trade, and is also the largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan. 

In 2020 the EPCA (Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement) entered into force, an agreement between Kazakhstan and the EU governing trade and economic relations between the European Union and Kazakhstan, the first Central Asian country to sign an EPCA with the EU. 

ORGANISATION OF THE EVENT

Participating Catalan companies will have a a schedule of between 1 and 3 meetings with potential buyers of their products. These schedules may be extended with further meetings depending on buyers' interest.

The meetings will be held online on a digital platform.

If the participating company does not attend the meeting, Prodeca does not undertake to arrange a new date. If it is the buyer who is unavailable, another date will be proposed. 

The meetings will be held in English or Russian (in some cases Spanish may also be used).

Participating companies must provide Prodeca with a digital catalogue of their products in English and/or Russian. 

The number of companies per sector will be limited.

No samples are expected to be sent before the meetings.

Before the event, Prodeca will invite registered companies to an online seminar presenting the markets in question.

Once the list of participating companies is closed on the basis of importers' interest, individual online meetings will be held between each company and the consultants contracted by Prodeca in the destination markets, to answer questions, explain their needs for these markets and discuss their products' particular features. 

Each company will have:

• Market information, trends and outlook
• A schedule of 1 to 3 meetings depending on buyers' interest
• The possibility of scheduling extra meetings depending on buyers' interest
• Support during the meeting from the consultants contracted by Prodeca
• Follow-up after the event by Prodeca and the consultants 

WHO IT IS AIMED AT

Participation is open to producers based in Catalonia from the following sectors:

• Olive oil, other vegetable oils
• Fruit and vegetable preserves
• Jams
• Fish preserves
• Ready meals and other frozen products (with no ingredients of animal origin)
• Mineral water
• Non-alcoholic drinks
• Nuts 
• Sauces
• Chocolate, confectionery, pralines, etc. 
• Fruit derivatives (purées, raw materials for baby food production, bulk juices, etc.)
• Organic products (except wines and cavas, spirits, meat, fish, dairy and fruit)      

This list is indicative, as buyers may well also be interested in other types of product.

Please note that, unfortunately, the Russian market is closed to imports of products from the following sectors originating in the EU:

• Fish
• Fruit
• Meat
• Dairy 

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Participation is planned for 3 companies per sector (product type). 

The registrations will be accepted in the order they reach Prodeca, and the companies that take part will be selected on the basis of buyers' interest.

Once registered, each company will receive a form with the information buyers require, which must be returned completed to Prodeca along with a digital catalogue of its products in English and/or Russian.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Companies interested in taking part in this event must complete the registration form and send it to Prodeca before 15 September 2021. 

Prodeca reserves the right to select companies on the basis of sector fit and the product's suitability for the markets concerned. If demand exceeds the places available, Prodeca will apply the order of arrival of applications.