Chinese eager to grow vegetables in Romania

A group of Chinese investors from Anhui Province want to buy or lease croplands in southern Romania and grow and trade vegetables and fruit, the president of the Romanian Chinese Commerce Chamber Gabriel Ghelmegeanu told Agerpres, on Thursday.

'Five Chinese business people headed by the chairman of the Agriculture Committee of Anhui province came to Romania and have been visiting the southern farming areas to find investment opportunities in the agriculture and the Romanian food industry, particularly in the vegetable and fruit sector. The members of the delegation are representatives of big commercial companies, vegetable and fruit processors, fruit, vegetable and wine growers,' said Ghelmegeanu.

According to the above-mentioned source, the Chinese investors want to make investments in the whole production chain from growing to processing and selling, and this is the reason why they are interested in buying or leasing lands or setting up joint ventures.

The Anhui Province numbers almost 567 million inhabitants, covers 139,600 sq.m., and is one of Chin's main vegetable growing basins and one of the biggest grains growers.

Romania's Agriculture Minister Valeriu Tabara met with the vice-president of China National Agricultural Development Group Corporation Liu Liangjun, early this week, when they were talking about the business opportunities the Chinese Corporation can find in Romania, in vegetables growing, fishery, research and ecological farming. The Chinese business people showed interest in the Siret-Baragan Canal project, and the possibility of importing as many wine sorts as possible, from Romania.

China National Agricultural Development Group Corporation holds 16 subsidiaries in 14 countries, worldwide, and 80 branches in China. Its main activity fields are the vegetable growing and sea fishery.