The companies that are members of Southeastern Anatolia Exporters’ Associations (GAIB) exported 221 million 236 thousand dollars of dried fruits and products to 94 countries in 11 months of this year.
Mehmet Çıkmaz, the Chairman of GAİB Dried Fruits and Products Exporters’ Association, drew attention to the fact that the Southeast is one of the important production centres in the dried fruit sector.
Emphasizing that they are carrying out important studies to export high value-added products from the region, Çıkmaz reminded the importance of dried fruit in terms of health in the world was once again understood in the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) process.
Stating that they exported 31 million 82 thousand dollars in November with an increase of 25.4 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, Çıkmaz said, “In the 11-month period of this year, dried fruit and its products were exported as the amount of 221 million 236 thousand dollars, with an increase of 8.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. In dried fruit exports, the highest export item in the 11-month period was dried apricots with 81 million 856 thousand dollars, followed by Antep pistachios with 77 million 165 thousand dollars.”
Pointing out that this is a have-year of Antep pistachios in Turkey, Çıkmaz noted, “We estimate that this year is about 300 thousand tons of pistachio harvest. Our producers feel happy because of Antep pistachio’s have-year and high yields. Besides 108 million 134 thousand dollars of pistachio export has been realized so far this year.”
“But this figure, compared to the previous year, indicates a fall of 11.4 percent. As for our Association, there is an increase of 0.8 percent. The main reason for this decrease is that other producer countries in the world also experience a have-year, so their yields are high and our exporters have less chance to compete in price.”