THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
Related Articles
Press release…
Lemons, which add flavour to everything from soups and salads to meals and herbal teas, are one of the leading products in Türkiye’s exports.
Türkiye, ranking 5th in lemon exports, exported 578,000 tonnes of lemons in 2024, but in 2025, lemon exports decreased by 38 percent in quantity to 361,000 tonnes.
While the country’s lemon exports decreased in quantity due to the effects of the climate crisis, export revenue surged by 13 percent, climbing from 357 million to 402.5 million dollars.
Balık: We export lemons with higher added value
Cengiz Balık, Chair of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, evaluating the 13 percent spike in foreign exchange earnings despite the 38 percent fall decrease in lemon export quantity, stated that this surge is due to an 80 percent spike in the dollar-based export price of lemons, indicating that Turkish lemons are being exported with higher added value.
Highlighting that lemon exports accounted for 11 percent of Türkiye’s 3.703 billion dollars fresh fruit and vegetable exports in 2025, Balık said, “While an average of 7 percent of the 58 million tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables produced in the country are exported, 33 percent of our lemon production is exported. The increase in our lemon exports continued in the January-April period of 2026. Our lemon exports soared by 18 percent, from 165 million to 195 million dollars. We aim to surpass 500 million dollars in lemon exports by the end of 2026.”
