THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Şeyhmus Solgun, Chairperson of the Union of Tobacco Production and Marketing Cooperatives, said that they aim to increase tobacco exports, which was 53 thousand tonnes last year, to 60 thousand tonnes this year.
Tobacco harvest has started in Muş (an Eastern Anatolian province of Turkey), which is one of the important tobacco production centres in Turkey.
Growers, who are on their way to the fields with the first light of the day, hang the collected tobacco leaves on the mechanisms they set up and leave them to dry.
The dried tobacco leaves are packaged and sent to the companies with which the growers have agreements.
Solgun said that they signed contracts with 70,000 tobacco producers across the country this year.
Stating that tobacco harvesting is about to end in many provinces and it continues in Muş, Solgun said, “Last year, we exported 53 thousand tonnes of tobacco to 46 countries from Turkey. Our target will be to make more money for our producers and our country by exporting 60 thousand tones in 2021.”
Indicating that they expect to obtain 120 thousand tonnes of tobacco from the fields planted this year, Solgun added, “In return, 700 million dollars will be provided to our country. This year, we brought very serious investors to our country. Supports are given to the producers by our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as well.”
“The obligation to use 30 percent of the tobacco produced in our country has been made. In this context, there will be a further increase in tobacco production in the coming periods. We will export more crop by reducing imports. Turkish tobacco, which is sent to many countries, comes back to our country as essence. It is used in cosmetic products. In addition, 35 percent of oil is obtained. It is used in paper mills and pesticide factories too. On this occasion, when tobacco is mentioned, not only cigarettes should come to mind,” Solgun concluded…
