THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
Bülent Sarıkaya, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, announced that they achieved 1.12 billion dollars in exports during the January-June period of 2026. Emphasizing that they ramped up their export performance by 49 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, Chairman Sarıkaya stated that they contributed approximately 48 percent to Türkiye’s 2.35 billion dollars fresh fruit and vegetable exports during the same period, thus maintaining their position as the leading association in the sector.
Pointing out that despite the uncertainties in global trade, the harmonious cooperation of producers, exporters and the logistics chain resulted in this successful outcome, he said, “A quality-oriented production approach, market diversification and strong supply capabilities supported the momentum in exports, further reinforcing the region’s leading position in Türkiye’s fresh fruit and vegetable exports.”
“Citrus fruits accounted for 55 percent of our exports”
Underlining that the citrus fruit group, which was the driving force of exports in the first half of the year, made the strongest contribution to growth, he explained, “Our citrus exports reached 620.5 million dollars, a 66 percent spike in value compared to the same period last year. The citrus group, which constitutes approximately 55 percent of our total fresh fruit and vegetable exports, once again demonstrated the competitiveness of our sector and its effectiveness in international markets.”
“Tangerines took the top spot in exports with a performance of 357.6 million dollars and that this product saw an 86 percent spike in value and a 48 percent spike in quantity. Furthermore, tangerines alone accounted for approximately 32 percent of total fresh fruit and vegetable exports. The strong demand and successful season performance of tangerines were the most important driving force behind our exports in the first half of the year,” he noted.
“Peach exports soared by 169 percent to 164.9 million dollars, while lemon exports, despite a decrease in quantity, rose by 32 percent to 157.8 million dollars thanks to a unit price advantage. A 65 percent increase in apricot exports, a 128 percent increase in orange exports and a triple-digit increase in cherry and sour cherry exports along with a double-digit growth was achieved in grapefruit, pomegranate, carrot-radish and cucumber-gherkin exports. Therefore, this picture clearly demonstrates the contribution of product diversification to exports and that sales of high value-added products have provided significant gains for the sector,” he concluded…
