The integrated agricultural cooperative Tara Mea (My Country), the largest such initiative in Romania, including over 1,000 members, has launched an export department, which has initiated talks for contracts in Europe, the US, and the Persian Gulf region.

The cooperative plans to start exports in early April, Ziarul Financiar reported. It has outsourced the transport services to two companies, one that offers maritime services and another that provides air services, the cooperative's representatives explained.

The cooperative's members produce vegetables, fruits, honey, dairy products, pork and poultry products, bread, and groceries. Still, only high value-added products obtained through processing, such as dairy products, sausages, bee products, will be exported.

"The requests are specific depending on the country we will export to," representatives of the cooperative said.

The Tara Mea cooperative was launched in 2014 by a group of farmers in Olt county, who wanted to get access to big retail chains. The cooperative has developed fast after signing a partnership with Kaufland, the biggest retail chain in Romania, in 2016.

andrei@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Aprescindere/Dreamstime.com)