The harvest for Turkish pomegranates has commenced and the weather is having a positive effect this year, says Kerem Tümen, export manager for Turkish fresh produce trader Tümen Tarim: "The harvest for the Hicaz pomegranate has started in Turkey. The weather conditions have remained very positive, we've not had to deal with major rains or other bad weather effects. This means there is no effect on the quality and we've not seen any cracking among the pomegranates in our orchards. That being said, the hot weather has resulted in smaller pomegranates compared to last year."
According to Tümen, the volumes should be similar to last year. Although there were more fruit on the trees last year, there were also more losses. "Looking at the production volumes this year, I'd say that the quantities are similar to what they were last year. In the previous season, the volumes on the trees were really abundant, but the rain caused a lot of cracking, which results in quite a few losses. We're very thankful that this year the weather continues to be good, we should not have any significant losses this year."
The Hicaz pomegranates are gaining in popularity as a Turkish variety, but overall demand for Turkish pomegranates is also increasing: "The pomegranate variety Hicaz is an unique variety cultivated in Turkey. The Hicaz pomegranates have a very nice sweet taste. This taste has gotten recognition for the variety, as they market share of Hicaz increased every year. As such, the demand for pomegranates seems to be a little higher than it was in previous years. We'll have to wait and see how the market will continue, as we're only in the beginning of the season right now. We expect to be able to continue our season until the middle of March, 2025," Tümen concludes.
For more information:
Kerem B. Tümen
Tumen Tarim
Tel: +90 324 454 0088
Mob: +90 532 593 6970
Email: [email protected]
www.tumen-tarim.com