Currently, the EU is the largest importer of Ukrainian fresh and processed fruit and berries. The Dutch companies supply Ukraine with planting material, equipment, and growing and processing technologies. Cooperation between the Dutch and Ukrainian sectors contributes to increasing European food security, enhancing the earning capacity of producers, and improving the quality and safety of food for consumers.
Main aspects of cooperation were agreed upon by leading Dutch buyers and Ukrainian producers of fruit and vegetable products as part of a business tour of Ukrainian processors to the Netherlands.
From May 20 to 23, 2025, a business tour to the Kingdom of the Netherlands took place with the participation of Ukrainian small and medium exporters of organic berry products, business support organizations (BSO), organized by the Ukrainian Berries Association (UBA), the State Institution "Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office" (EEPO, Ukraine), and the Organic Initiative Public Union. .
The purpose of the trip was to establish mutually beneficial partnerships between European and Ukrainian companies, study export requirements, and expand the market of suppliers of quality fruit products to the EU.
During four days, ten Ukrainian exporters of organic berry products visited leading Dutch companies in the field of growing and distributing fruits and berries, learned about the capacities of enterprises, certification requirements, and features of the EU market. It became clear that Dutch companies are interested in supplying planting material, equipment, and production technologies to Ukraine, which will help improve the quality of Ukrainian products and make them more competitive in world markets.
Some companies are looking at Ukrainian products with the aim of expanding trade partnerships.
Currently, the EU is the largest importer of Ukrainian products in the fresh and processed fruit and berries segment. Therefore, the development of further cooperation with the Dutch sector will not only balance trade, using the strengths of each partner (in particular, innovation and technology in the Netherlands, and cheap labor and opportunities for extension in Ukraine), but will also contribute to increasing European food security, earning capacity for producers and higher quality and safety for consumers.
"Ukrainian fruit and berry products are interesting for EU importers primarily for their quality and pricing policy. Because of industry feature the atomization of many production processes is impossible, so it requires significant human labor, which is much more expensive in the EU than in Ukraine. And the price continues to rise. On the other side, quality of Ukrainian fruits and berries is high. Therefore, companies from the Netherlands showed a high interest in strengthening cooperation and expanding imports of these products from Ukraine", - noted Iryna Kukhtina, Head of the Ukrainian Berries Association.
Source: Agroberichten Buitenland