THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
Related Articles
October, 2026…
Bedri Girit, Vice-Chair of the Aegean Fisheries and Animal Products Exporters’ Association, told an Anatolian Agency (AA) correspondent that the rise in exports was due to dynamics in the domestic market and diseases affecting the global poultry sector.
Highlighting that climate change and diseases are affecting productivity in the global poultry sector, Girit said, “The outbreak of avian influenza in some countries – for example, the US and five European countries – is shifting the balance of global trade; indeed, in some cases, an exporting country can even find itself in the position of an importer. This situation has particularly enabled us to send a great deal of produce to European Union countries.”
Girit stated that there had been a spike of nearly 100 percent in exports to countries such as the Netherlands, Poland, Greece, Italy and Belgium.
Explaining that the relaxation of export quotas for small-sized eggs in the domestic market had also supported exports, Girit explained, “The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry had increased the quotas by approximately fivefold after determining that production volumes were sufficient and that there were no price fluctuations.”
The sector’s main markets are countries in the Middle East…
Girit noted that, due to the egg’s 60-day shelf life and logistical conditions, sales are predominantly to neighbouring regions, adding that the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran and Syria continue to be the sector’s main markets.
Pointing out that, in addition to the existing countries, African nations such as The Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan and Djibouti, as well as Hungary and Germany, have also entered the list of new markets, Girit noted, “Türkiye utilises state-of-the-art technology in its poultry sector and that production capacity is more than sufficient for the domestic market. Within this context, the sector in the country has nearly 100 million laying hens.”
Underlining that there is no cause for concern regarding the supply-demand balance, he concluded, “Prices paid to producers have never exceeded 4 lira. If consumers are paying a higher price at the supermarket or market, that is, of course, a matter beyond our control. While concerning the sector’s year-end expectations; last year we targeted 500 million dollars, but following the lifting of quotas (in 2026), we have ramped up our target by 50 million dollars to 550 million dollars.”
