By John Lee.
Iraq's Ministry of Trade has held a virtual seminar aimed at helping the country's date industry meet European Union requirements and expand export opportunities into European markets.
The event, titled "Standards for the Entry of Iraqi Dates into European Markets", was organised by the ministry's Private Sector Development Department, in cooperation with the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Italy, and coordinated with the Iraqi Trade Attache in Rome.
According to the Ministry of Trade, the seminar reviewed the current state of the EU date market, the mandatory requirements for exporting Iraqi dates, and the certifications and specifications recognised by European importers. Quality standards and common mistakes made by exporters, along with ways to address them, were also discussed.
Participants included the head of the Iraqi Dates Council, Sabah Al-Baghdadi, the director of the Iraqi Company for Manufacturing and Marketing of Dates, a number of Iraqi date producing and exporting companies, and representatives of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce.
Experts at the seminar stressed the importance of producers and processors complying with European quality and food safety standards, and called for improvements in production, packaging and processing, along with a shift towards organic dates and date sugar amid rising demand in European markets.
Malik Khalaf Al-Duraie, Director General of the Private Sector Development Department, said the date sector was one of Iraq's most important production areas, adding that the ministry remained committed to supporting the sector and strengthening its production and export capacity.
(Source: Ministry of Trade)
No comments yet.