While the global apple production seems to be lower, the Turkish apple season has started off quite positively despite the lower voumes, says Alper Kerim, owner of Turkish fruit exporter Demir Fresh Fruits: "The Turkish apple season started with the Gala apples and continues with other varieties. So far, the season has been positive for us as a company. As our main focus for apples has always been India, we're closer to that specific market situation than the European one. Although there is some shortage for the local apples in India, the same can be said for countries all over the world. The global production for apples is down, just like the production in Turkey has decreased this year."
For Turkey, the situation of lower production isn't any different, Kerim emphasizes. The lower volumes will also have an effect on the Turkish apple prices. "Looking at the Turkish apple production, it seems that there will be almost 25% less volumes available compared to last season. The weather conditions were not good this year, resulting on fewer apples on the trees. This also explains why the prices are rather high in Turkey compared to previous seasons."
With the Red Sea crisis still ongoing, Demir Fresh Fruit has had to divert to other ports in India. However, Kerim states its crucial for the company to be able to ship to their usual port with a faster transit time again: "For us, the main destination for our apples is the Chennai port in India, but unfortunately there isn't a shorter transit time possible to this port at the moment. We have alternative ports to go to, such as Nhava Sheva port, and as such we're loading our apples to this port right now. However, we need an extremely faster line to the Chennai port as soon as possible, as this is where our main buyers are located."
Kerim stated that the high prices aren't just an effect of the lower volume, but are also a result of the extreme Turkish inflation, putting pressure on their currency. "Prices for Turkish apples started out at a high level if you compare them to the prices of last year. This is due to inflation being way too high in Turkey, putting our currency under pressure. This is why pricing is actually the main challenge for Turkish exporters at the moment, as it's more difficult to sell their products. At this moment, with these prices, we're unable to compete with other well-known origins."
Overall, Kerim is hopeful for the season, despite the obvious challenge his company will have to deal with: "I'm expecting huge demand, because of the apple shortages all over the world, including our direct rival exporters for the Indian market. I think buyers will be searching for more volumes through the end of the season," Kerim concludes.
For more information:
Alper Kerim
Demir Fresh Fruits
Tel: +90 532 514 2080
Email: [email protected]
www.dff.com.tr