Polish dairy Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT

Exports of Polish dairy products to China rose 34 percent in the first half of 2021, thanks to fine quality of Polish products and growing consumption power of Chinese consumers, the Embassy of Poland in Beijing said on Tuesday.

According to one embassy official, Polish dairy industry was only marginally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but received higher levels of acceptances among Chinese consumers. In 2020, sales value of Polish dairy products in China saw a significantly increase of 70 percent than 2019, and the annual export value hit 2 billion euros. 

Over the first six months of 2021, China had become the second largest buyer of Polish dairy next to the European Union, accounting for six percent of Poland's overall dairy exports, and dairy products also accounted 65 percent of Polish food exports to China by October, 2021. 

Magdalena Czechońska, Agricultural Counselor, Representative of Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the China-Europe freight train had helped the Polish dairy products expand their market in China.

On October 15 2020, the first special freight train for Polish dairy products arrived at Wuhan city in Central China's Hubei Province, according to local media outlet the Changjiang Daily.

The special freight train dispatched from Polish city Małaszewicze, going through Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, and entered China via Alashankou City in the Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The train carried more than 1,100 tons liquid milk and instant milk powder, traveling 9,300 kilometers over 15 days. 

The report mentioned that the special freight train was scheduled to run two to three times per month.

Dorota Bialczak, Director of International Cooperation Department, Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said on Tuesday via video-link that Chinese authorities in April, 2021, had granted the export license for Poland of forage dairy products, boosting dairy cooperation between the countries.

Global Times