Whereas three or four years ago they weren’t even thinking about Western markets, Romanian producers such as CrisTim, Aldis Calarasi and Agricola Bacau are now focusing on exports, as local consumption is not yet showing signs of revival.
Food industry producers were inspired by the example of Dacia, which saved the local economy in times of crisis, and looked to foreign markets to secure them steady production and steady sales.
“We have received the approvals to export dry-cured salamis. For the salamis our focus is on Poland and Germany, where consumption is high,” explains Grigore Horoi, president of Agricola Bacau. The company doubled its exports this year, which reached 22% of production.
In turn, Sorin Minea, president of cold cuts producer Angst, says the salami produced in the Sinaia plant is an engine for the company’s exports. “Our biggest export is Sibiu salami.”
However, Angst’s exports account for just 10% of the company’s turnover.
Romanian producers deliver the bulk of cold cuts to countries like Spain and Italy, where there are large communities of Romanians, but also to Germany and France, two markets with high consumption. The rest end up in markets considered exotic, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, but Romanian cold cuts are also sold in Russia and Ukraine.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)