Turkey’s tomato paste sector being left to its fate and China overtaking Turkey’s export markets with an annual production of 1 million tons has become a huge threat to the Turkish agriculture sector, according to a sector leader.
Tomato paste is the sole Turkish product listed in the top 20 in global trade among all fruit and vegetable products, but still the Turkish government does not deliver enough subsidies to the sector, according to Fruit and Vegetable Products Sector Committee Chairman Ümit Güvenç.
The Istanbul Exporters’ Union, or İİB, Aegean Exporters’ Union, or EİB, Fruit Juice Industry Association, or MEYED, and Uludağ Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Union, or UMSMİB, chairmen and members recently held a fruit and vegetable products sector committee meeting.
In a joint declaration the members of the committee made after the meeting, they said tomato paste producers are not receiving enough support from the government.
"Let alone receiving the same subsidies as our counterparts in the EU, which reach 34 euros per ton of industrial tomatoes, Turkish tomato paste producers produce for Turkey the product that receives the greatest demand from consumers in the Far East, Russia and the EU, cannot even find enough raw materials. Some companies have been completely left alone. These firms carry out innovative trials in new production regions, but since they do not get enough subsidies these trials fail to become any more serious than individual entrepreneurial trials.”
He said the Agriculture Ministry could not provide the sector with what it needs the most, which are region-based subsidies.
"Unfortunately, tomato paste, which has a significant role in the fruit and vegetable processing industry, fruit nectars and juices are not listed as receivers of region-based subsidies. Some ministerial officials have been pursued on this issue, but their efforts have not yet yielded results. However, our competitors in the world are moving fast.”
Güvenç also said the Agriculture Ministry needed to guide the producers in terms of tomato cultivation and paste production, adding that the ministry should undertake an inventory study with participation of sector representatives on all raw materials starting with peaches and sour cherries and form a sound policy about them.
Underlining that China is becoming a huge threat to Turkish producers due to its efforts to take over all of Turkey’s export markets with its annual 1 million-ton tomato paste production, Güvenç said despite all sorts of negativities and impediments, the Turkish tomato paste producers managed to maintain their export figures as of the end of 2010.
“However, we do not know what we are going to say to our purchasers about our insufficient level of tomato paste output. Our export figures seriously run the risk of a sharp fall in 2011,” he said.
Tomato paste is the sole Turkish product listed in the top 20 in global trade among all fruit and vegetable products, but still the Turkish government does not deliver enough subsidies to the sector, according to Fruit and Vegetable Products Sector Committee Chairman Ümit Güvenç.
The Istanbul Exporters’ Union, or İİB, Aegean Exporters’ Union, or EİB, Fruit Juice Industry Association, or MEYED, and Uludağ Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Union, or UMSMİB, chairmen and members recently held a fruit and vegetable products sector committee meeting.
In a joint declaration the members of the committee made after the meeting, they said tomato paste producers are not receiving enough support from the government.
"Let alone receiving the same subsidies as our counterparts in the EU, which reach 34 euros per ton of industrial tomatoes, Turkish tomato paste producers produce for Turkey the product that receives the greatest demand from consumers in the Far East, Russia and the EU, cannot even find enough raw materials. Some companies have been completely left alone. These firms carry out innovative trials in new production regions, but since they do not get enough subsidies these trials fail to become any more serious than individual entrepreneurial trials.”
He said the Agriculture Ministry could not provide the sector with what it needs the most, which are region-based subsidies.
"Unfortunately, tomato paste, which has a significant role in the fruit and vegetable processing industry, fruit nectars and juices are not listed as receivers of region-based subsidies. Some ministerial officials have been pursued on this issue, but their efforts have not yet yielded results. However, our competitors in the world are moving fast.”
Güvenç also said the Agriculture Ministry needed to guide the producers in terms of tomato cultivation and paste production, adding that the ministry should undertake an inventory study with participation of sector representatives on all raw materials starting with peaches and sour cherries and form a sound policy about them.
Underlining that China is becoming a huge threat to Turkish producers due to its efforts to take over all of Turkey’s export markets with its annual 1 million-ton tomato paste production, Güvenç said despite all sorts of negativities and impediments, the Turkish tomato paste producers managed to maintain their export figures as of the end of 2010.
“However, we do not know what we are going to say to our purchasers about our insufficient level of tomato paste output. Our export figures seriously run the risk of a sharp fall in 2011,” he said.
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