THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
Emre Uygun, Chair of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association (EZZİB), stated that they are seeing signs of a good and high-yield season in olive and olive oil producing countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Türkiye.
“The initial data we are receiving from the field and production regions clearly indicates that we will witness one of the strongest and highest yields in history in the upcoming season,” Uygun said.
“The productivity of our trees and nature itself herald an immense abundance of produce. However, if this abundance is not managed with the right policies, it can turn into a price crisis for producers and a burden of stocks for exporters. For us to transform this enormous harvest into added value, keeping all export channels open, regardless of whether it’s bulk, barrelled or packaged, is crucial for the future of our sector. This assurance is vital for exporters to be able to plan ahead and sign long-term, large-tonnage contracts with international buyers. Flexible mechanisms must be implemented to prevent producer prices in the domestic market from falling below costs during periods of abundance, while simultaneously enabling us to aggressively market at competitive prices in foreign markets. Furthermore, urgently increasing producer support for olives and olive oil to protect our farmers who work under difficult conditions in the fields is a critical part of this process,” he explained.
Underlining that the rise in energy, labour, irrigation, harvesting, packaging, logistics and financing costs cannot be stopped, he noted, “This situation creates a heavy cost pressure on our producers, industrialists and exporters. In periods when these cost hikes cannot be balanced by exchange rate developments, it becomes impossible for our exporters to offer competitive prices in international markets. Especially when marketing the upcoming large harvest to the world, a predictable exchange rate policy is essential so that we can engage in a price war with our competitors.”
“For exporters to protect their existing markets and find markets for the new harvest, the cost-exchange rate balance needs to be urgently re-evaluated, taking into account the needs of the sector. We expect the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye to enhance its 3 percent foreign exchange conversion support to 10 percent,” he added…
