AK Party Aydin Senator Mustafa Savas: “Turkey’s fig exports have already surpassed 300 million USD despite lower production due to climate conditions. Normally the annual production projection was around 120,000 tons but due to bad weather, production volume was only around 80,000 tons. However the demand in export markets remained stable and the prices have risen. There is a big interest in figs from Turkey, especially from the city of Aydin and we want to continue to increase our fig exports. Fig production creates 45,000 jobs just in Aydin and Izmir and it is an important source of income for a lot of people in this region.”
The Uludag Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association also announced that the export figures for black fig from Bursa had increased by 5.4 % from 16,152 tons to 17,010 tons. Black figs from Bursa are regarded as the best in the world and black fig exports have netted a turnover of 38 million USD to growers in 2018.
The current export volume ranks 2nd to the all time high of 2014 when 18,000 tons were exported and this year black figs were sold to 42 countries. Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France and Russia were the top export destinations. Black fig exports to Germany increased by 16.4 % to 6,400 tons whereas 1,650 tons were exported to Netherlands which was followed by 1,468 tons exported to United Kingdom, 1,464 tons exported to Russia and 1,278 tons exported to France.
Now black fig growers are targeting Far East Asian markets after establishing a strong position in Europe and slowly entering into Scandinavia. Currently 70 % of the production is being exported and this number is expected to increase even more if the initiatives to enter into Far East Asian markets turn out to be successful.
Source: Yeni Mesaj / Aydin Denge