 Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Union Chairman Ali Kavak says Turkey’s chief markets for fresh fruit and vegetables were Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany and Serbia. AA photo |
Citrus exporters registered 1.2 million tons in exports and provided $800 million in foreign exchange input in 2009 but they are targeting $10 billion for Turkey’s centennial in 2023, according to the head of an exporters’ union.
“We believe that we will fulfill the target that we have set before ourselves and increase exports by 20 percent over [2009],” Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Union Chairman Ali Kavak told Anatolia news agency last week.
“We registered 2.7 million tons of fresh fruit and vegetable export [in 2009] and provided $2 billion foreign exchange input – but with citrus alone we provided $800 million input with 1.2 million tons export,” he said. “But our goal is hit 10 billion dollars in exports by the Republic turns 100 in 2023.”
But the year 2010 was marked by difficulties, according to Kavak. “Due to the temperature hovering above seasonal norms in 2010, the citrus sector has suffered,” he said, adding that citrus cultivation required cold weather.
Turkey’s fresh fruit and vegetable cultivation is approximately 40 million tons per year, 3.5 million tons of which comes from citrus, Kavak said.
Kavak said Turkey’s chief export markets for fresh fruit and vegetables were Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany and Serbia.
At present, the country exports to 93 countries worldwide and is also growing each year with the addition of new markets, he said.
Citrus of strategic importance
Kavak said the citrus sector was of strategic importance for Turkey and that the sector, which provides employment for around 5 million people, should be further improved.
“For that, we have set a series of targets for ourselves,” Kavak said. “These targets include establishing new markets like Japan, England and France.”
Setting his sights particularly on Japan, Kavak said Turkey had been unable to export citrus to the East Asian country for the past 40 years but added that it would begin sending grapefruit there sometime in January.
“Japan is exporting 180,000 tons of grapefruit annually and it imports 80 percent of that from the United States. We are planning to seek further export opportunities with this country on lemon and cherries. We are also planning export initiatives with countries with which we have no export ties yet,” he said.
Kavak said a publicity campaign launched in November had contributed greatly to an increase in exports, adding that Turkey had registered a 40-percent increase in exports with Russia since then.
He also said the publicity campaign would continue in Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan until Jan. 11 and that they expected similar success in the latter two countries.
“We believe that we will fulfill the target that we have set before ourselves and increase exports by 20 percent over [2009],” Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Union Chairman Ali Kavak told Anatolia news agency last week.
“We registered 2.7 million tons of fresh fruit and vegetable export [in 2009] and provided $2 billion foreign exchange input – but with citrus alone we provided $800 million input with 1.2 million tons export,” he said. “But our goal is hit 10 billion dollars in exports by the Republic turns 100 in 2023.”
But the year 2010 was marked by difficulties, according to Kavak. “Due to the temperature hovering above seasonal norms in 2010, the citrus sector has suffered,” he said, adding that citrus cultivation required cold weather.
Turkey’s fresh fruit and vegetable cultivation is approximately 40 million tons per year, 3.5 million tons of which comes from citrus, Kavak said.
Kavak said Turkey’s chief export markets for fresh fruit and vegetables were Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany and Serbia.
At present, the country exports to 93 countries worldwide and is also growing each year with the addition of new markets, he said.
Citrus of strategic importance
Kavak said the citrus sector was of strategic importance for Turkey and that the sector, which provides employment for around 5 million people, should be further improved.
“For that, we have set a series of targets for ourselves,” Kavak said. “These targets include establishing new markets like Japan, England and France.”
Setting his sights particularly on Japan, Kavak said Turkey had been unable to export citrus to the East Asian country for the past 40 years but added that it would begin sending grapefruit there sometime in January.
“Japan is exporting 180,000 tons of grapefruit annually and it imports 80 percent of that from the United States. We are planning to seek further export opportunities with this country on lemon and cherries. We are also planning export initiatives with countries with which we have no export ties yet,” he said.
Kavak said a publicity campaign launched in November had contributed greatly to an increase in exports, adding that Turkey had registered a 40-percent increase in exports with Russia since then.
He also said the publicity campaign would continue in Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan until Jan. 11 and that they expected similar success in the latter two countries.
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