Availability of high-quality Turkish apples expected to drop after Ramadan

The production of Turkish apples has seen a decline this season, but the quality is up to par, says Mert Özçelik of Turkish fruit exporter Ana Fruit: "Our apple season going well at the moment. Looking at the harvested volumes this year, there is lower production compared to the previous season. This is why exporters are loading their containers slowly. As a result, demand is very strong, with India being one of the primary markets to absorb our apples."

Özçelik emphasizes that the drop in production is not to be taken lightly, as he's seen only half of last year's production being harvested in the current season. "The lower production is not just slightly lower, volumes are even 50 per cent lower, which is a massive decrease. This can be attributed to the weather conditions, as the heat and climate in general affected the production. Thankfully, the quality of the apples that were harvested was very good, which did help."

According to Özçelik, the experiences they've had with the logistical challenges surrounding the Red Sea have prepared them to anticipate in much better ways this year: "The logistical issues that we endured last year gave us a lot of experience, which made it easier to deal with these same logistical problems in the current season. We knew what we could expect from the start of the season, which kind of gave us an advantage as we were able to plan our program with the current situation in mind. Also, some other shipping lines have stepped in to offer new services. It has provided many advantages for exporters."

After March comes to an end, there won't be as many quality apples available for export from Turkey. "We expect that the demand for apples will be higher once Ramadan comes to an end, but the availability of good quality apples will definitely be lower by that time. We expect that only the major exporters will still be exporting their apples by that time," Özçelik concludes.

For more information:
Mert Özçelik
Ana Fruit
Tel: +90 542 120 0732
sales@anafruit.com.tr
www.anafruit.com.tr