The Polish government has lowered the export insurance rate in a bid to encourage suppliers to find new markets for produce banned from Russia, while also helping to ease the financial pressures of exporting in the wake of the blockade.

Working with the Export Credit Insurance Corporation, Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced a 20% discount on insurance to a raft of countries, including large markets such as the Middle East and China.

The reduced rates will remain valid until the end of the first quarter of 2015 and apply to exporting goods to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, Montenegro, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Iran, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Mongolia, Serbia and Vietnam.

However, the discount only applies to produce that is currently part of the Russian embargo and for Polish producers and suppliers this is mainly apples, cabbage, peppers and sprouts.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Marek Sawicki is due to visit Belarus on Thursday following fruitful discussions with the Belarusian agri-food sector that show 'a strong interest in Polish products intended for its market and, after processing, to the Russian market', according to a ministry release.

He has already held talks with representative of the Belarusian agricultural administration and the heads of the largest fruit and vegetable processing plants in the country ahead of more scheduled meetings in the capital Minsk later this week.

Logo competition

Meanwhile, the ministry is launching a new logo campaign aimed at driving domestic sales and promoting local produce from the Polish agri-food sector.

Entrants are being invited to submit a logo design based around the Polish apple. Winners of the competition will see their logo used in promotional information and activities relating to food products.

Projects should be sent to the ministry by Sept. 19, 2014.

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