THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
July 2026…
Selim Jimi, Chair of the Aegean Tobacco Exporters Association, stated that thanks to the efforts of the producers, the investments of industrialists and the endeavours of Turkish exporters, tobacco sector’s exports across the country have soared by 8.4 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 1.06 billion dollars.
Selim Jimi explained that during this period, the main export product groups consisted of cigarettes, leaf tobacco and hookah tobacco products and that the countries with the highest export volumes were the United States, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Russian Federation.
“A significant regulation has been implemented to increase the use of domestic tobacco in cigarettes produced in Türkiye. This development has created new opportunities for our sector and accelerated investments in production infrastructure. Thanks to efforts to boost the production of Virginia and Burley type tobacco in recent years, our production of foreign type tobacco has reached 30,000 tonnes, while our total tobacco production has exceeded 100,000 tonnes. This development contributes to meeting domestic market demand with domestic production and also increases the product diversity of our sector,” he said.
The Goal: Quality, Added Value and Young Producers
Pointing out that the three main areas they will focus on in the coming period, he noted, “To raise product quality above the expectations of international markets, to enhance the share of high value-added products in exports and to bring young producers into the sector with modern and sustainable agricultural practices.”
Underlining that they are resolutely continuing their sustainability efforts, he added, “We are carrying out projects in many areas, from collecting agricultural pesticide packaging waste to improving the working conditions of our producers. We consider 2025 and the first half of 2026 to be a successful period for our sector. We believe that this positive performance will continue in the rest of the year and that our sector will continue to bring more foreign currency to our country, make investments, and provide employment.”
