The event, organised by UPEMI and PABCB (see ‘Who’s who?’ below), saw around 25 delegates (meat traders, processors and exporters) from New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore and Kazakhstan meet members of the Polish meat industry to discuss the industry’s future and possible export co-operation.
It was all part of ‘The taste of quality and tradition directly from Europe’ – a meat promotion campaign aimed at increasing exports of Polish and European beef and pork to the markets named above.
The seminar was just one event during a week-long tour of Poland by the international delegation last month.
“The UPEMI has for years been [extensively promoting] the Polish beef and pork industries,” UPEMI president Wieslaw Rozanski told Rural News. “We hope the seminar will result in better relations, new trading contacts and an increase in meat exports to New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore and Kazakhstan.”
Rozanski says increasing Polish meat exports is a key objective of UPEMI. Some 30% of food produced in Poland is now exported to 70 countries. In 2015, Polish agri-food exports totalled 23.6 billion Euros – a 7.7% increase on 2014.
Polish trade with NZ is not small. In 2015, NZ exports to Poland were valued at US$122 million, while Polish exports to NZ were US$72m, of which agri and food were only $US4.8m.
Rozanski sees opportunity to grow this trade between the two countries, especially in agri-food, biotechnology and environmental protection.
