This year's participation and attendance of twenty-two Serbian companies at the World Food Moscow Fair from the 15th to the 18th of September proved to be a major success.

Serbian food exporters contracted over $8.5 million worth of sales and they are currently negotiating additional sales of goods worth over $16 million.

With support from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, first time exhibitors at this year's World Food Fair accounted for more than half of the contracted sales. This opportunity has opened the door for greater success of Serbian agribusiness during the current economic crisis.

Showcased under the joint slogan Serbia Naturally, Serbian companies boasted a large selection of apples, meats and pates, organic jams and preserves, premium wild mushrooms, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the famous Serbian raspberries, blackberries and wild strawberries and blueberries.

Eleven companies exhibiting their products at this years fair featured in Moscow this year were: Agroprom-Com, Lučić Prigrevica, ZZ Moravac, ITN, Repro Trade, PIK Južni Banat, Strela, Hemel, Neoplanta, Big Bull and LTS Farmer.

The recent global financial crisis has not deterred Serbian exporters in trying to reestablish their strong foothold in the international market and especially the Russian market which has traditionally generated considerable demand for Serbian products.

The USAID Agribusiness team continuously works to increase Serbia’s agribusiness competitiveness through addressing issues and constraints that inhibit access to international markets. Barriers to entering international markets are consistently tackled through technical assistance addressing issues such as inappropriate packaging or branding, international food safety standards and certificates and through establishing international market linkages between international buyers and Serbian producers.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $24 million through its Agribusiness Project which focuses on improving agricultural productivity, expanding value-added agricultural processing, opening new markets for export, and building the capacity of producer organizations and service providers which support Serbia’s agribusiness sector. The USAID Agribusiness Project works with Serbian agricultural producers at all stages of the production cycle “from field to fork” to increase the value of Serbian agricultural products sales and agricultural employment.

For more information on USAID Agribusiness Project, kindly contact Ana Martinovic, Communications Advisor at ana_martinovic@agrobiznis.net or +381 11 243 66 11.