The first 300-ton shipment of oranges was transported by road to Irkutsk, in Russia’s Far East region, on Nov 5, following an eight-day journey from Harbin, Heilongjiang province. It marked the start of official operations of a fast road transportation channel for fresh fruit and vegetables being traded between China and Russia.

The new service was launched by Harbin Eyuntong Technology Transportation Co, in an effort to help improve efficiency and save costs for fresh food transportation by using trains and trucks.

The service is designed to serve the needs of the Far East region which suffers from long, harsh winters and lacks fresh vegetables and fruit. In the past, the size and conditions of the area have resulted in high costs and poor efficiency for bulk cargo transportation, especially for transporting fresh food.

Now, bulk cargo to be transported to the Far East region will first be transferred to Harbin, before being transported to Russian cities through China’s Manzhouli Port.

In addition, seafood such as salmon and prawns produced in Russia will be exported to the Chinese market through the port.