LocationsUNDP supported the participation of Uzbek entrepreneurs at the exhibition in Helsinki
April 11, 2023
The United Nations Development Programme in cooperation with the Export Promotion Agency supported the participation of six Uzbek entrepreneurs in the "Local and organic food fair" held on March 30 - April 2, 2023 in Helsinki, Finland.
The main purpose of participation was to negotiate the supply of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables to Finland and other European countries, and study innovative methods of food processing.
During the exhibition Uzbek entrepreneurs held negotiations with more than 25 companies, including The Finnish Chili Associaton, Esbau, Bioproffa, Kekkila Garden, Sven SIig AG, Finnish Agriculture Association and others on the supply of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables from Uzbekistan, following which they reached preliminary agreements on the export of Uzbek products worth about 5 million euros.
The participants studied innovative methods of growing organic fruits and vegetables, familiarized themselves with the requirements, permitting procedures, as well as the logistics of exporting fruits and vegetables to Finland and other European countries.
Dildora Avlyakhanova from Mocokko-Elit LLC shares her impressions about her participation:
"The exhibition in Helsinki gave me the opportunity to find new international suppliers of food products and to expand my assortment. I saw all the products live, got acquainted with new products, looked at the convenience of packaging, was acquainted with logistics, compared offers from different suppliers. Visiting the exhibition allowed me to make contacts with new useful people and partners, successfully signed contracts and conducted negotiations to get promising terms of cooperation. It's not the first year I visit exhibitions in different countries, and participation in this exhibition brought me only positive moments: business atmosphere, meetings with potential clients, attracting new clients, meetings with existing partners."
Komiljon Urinboev from Valley FruktlandLLC noted:
"Today, geographic expansion of exports of Uzbek products, in particular to the European Union countries, is a very important direction. So, participation in the exhibition in Finland was very useful and productive, I was able to meet new potential business partners, demonstrate my products in the new market, better understand the market preferences of EU countries, as well as make preliminary agreements on further exports to Finland. It is worth adding that I was especially interested in communicating with importers from Finland and studying consumer preferences of that market. I would like to thank the organizers of the exhibition for such an experience."
Participation in the exhibition was supported by the UNDP's Aid for Trade in Central Asia project, funded by the Government of Finland, whose main objective is to support Central Asian countries in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth by developing green value chains and making economies more competitive, and to promote more resilient, secure and gender-responsive economic structures through economic diversification and adaptation to new trends brought about by COVID-19.
