Agriculture minister to promote Polish food in Asia
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
12.05.2014 11:29
Agriculture Minister Marek Sawicki is to visit Asia to promote Polish food and try and persuade a number of countries to lift their ban on Polish pork after two wild boars were found dead with African swine fever earlier this year.
Photo - wikipedia
Minister Sawicki is to visit Singapore, China, and South Korea during his Asian trip.
“I want to talk directly with the agriculture ministers of China, Singapore and [South] Korea about lifting the present embargo,” Sawicki told Polish Radio, Monday, adding that veterinary documents have already been presented to the respective countries.
The move comes as Poland is trying to make up for losses after Russia and Belarus put a stop to meat imports from the EU.
“If we take into account the whole of Asia – Japan, China, Singapore, Korea and Vietnam – this would make up 200,000 tons of meat, the equivalent of what we would be exporting to the [Russian] customs union,” Sawicki said.
Head of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, Slawomir Majman said that the Chinese market may be an alternative to Russia, who also declared that a promotional office for Polish food is to be opened at the Polish Embassy in Beijing in the coming weeks.
“Political activity is simply necessary,” Majman said, adding that “Polish businesses need a permanent political umbrella under which they can operate.” (jb)