Catalan Minister of Agriculture confirms Chinese interest on Catalan food products

From http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/tarragona/20131109/54393924649/pelegri-confirma-l-interes-creixent-de-la-xina-per-productes-catalans-com-el-vi-l-oli-el-formatge-o-.html (in Catalan)

Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Josep Maria Pelegrí, has confirmed the Chinese interest on Catalan food products such as wine, olive oil, cheese or fruit, as stated by the participation of 14 Catalan companies on a food and beverages trade fair recently organized in Shanghai.

The goal of the event is to offer direct contact of those companies with Chinese importers and distributors in order to introduce and consolidate their products in the Chinese market. The Catalan products promoted in this trade fair are olive oil, coffee, wine, spirits, fruit, cava wine, honey and sweets (torrons, a Christmas traditional desert, and candies).

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture of the Catalan government, the exports of Catalan food products to China is growing annually by 13%. Economic growth, urban development, the growth of the Chinese middle class, the diversification of the diet and the increase in the consumption of western products represent an opportunity for the local companies to improve their sales.