THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
At the General Assembly Meeting of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters’ Association, which brings together olive and olive oil exporters in Türkiye, Emre Uygun was re-elected as chairperson with 55 votes.
Speaking at the General Assembly, Emre Uygun, Chair of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters’ Association, emphasised that the sector had weathered both global and national challenges.
Uygun, who underlined that the Turkish olive sector achieved exports of 763 million dollars in the 2023/24 season, stated: “Our exports fell by 27 per cent in the 2024/25 season, and we concluded the season with 559 million dollars in foreign exchange revenue.”
“We are faced with two contrasting pictures”
Pointing out that an analysis of the export figures reveals two contrasting pictures, Uygun said, “During this period, our table olive exports demonstrated a performance that underscored the strategic importance of our product diversity. Exceeding its target with total export revenue of 255 million dollars, our sector succeeded in bringing Turkish olives to dining tables across the globe.”
“Our black olive exports rose by 19 percent to 194 million dollars, whilst our green olive exports increased by 29 percent to 61 million dollars. These exports, made to a total of 117 countries, once again confirmed our strong position in the global market. In contrast, our olive oil exports fell by 50 percent in foreign currency terms to 252 million dollars. With this result, our olive oil exports fell behind table olive exports for the first time in four seasons. In terms of volume, exports fell from 70,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes,” he noted.
“Restrictions, subsidies and bans have led to a poor outcome for olive oil”
“This decline in our olive oil exports cannot be explained solely by the fall in global prices. The restrictions, levies and bans imposed on bulk and barrel olive oil exports since 2021 have profoundly affected our sector’s competitive strength in international markets. These measures have damaged our country’s reputation as a reliable supplier and paved the way for our market share to shift to rival countries,” he added.
Sharing information that the export losses in the olive and olive oil sector have continued into the 2025/26 season, Uygun concluded, “Export figures for the 2025/26 season indicate that the repercussions of structural issues and restrictions are persisting. As of 31 March 2026, our sector’s total exports decreased by 38 percent in value terms compared to the same period of the previous season, falling from 312 million dollars to 192 million dollars. During this period, our olive oil exports, in particular, fell by 73 percent in volume compared to the previous season, dropping to 7,000 tonnes and generating foreign exchange earnings of 44 million dollars. Our table olive exports, however, managed to hold steady at 135 million dollars.”
