Turkey has left behind a successful export season in dried figs, which are considered the sacred fruit in all monotheistic religions and are indispensable for Christmas tables. While Turkey exported 2020 thousand 21 tons of dried figs in the 72/145 season, it achieved a foreign exchange income of 256 million 915 thousand dollars.
Dried figs gained $110 per tonne
Realizing 60 percent of the world's dried fig exports alone, Turkey's dried fig export in the 2019-20 season was 69 thousand 786 tons equivalent to 241 million 857 thousand dollars. While dried fig exports increased by 3 percent on amount basis, the increase in foreign exchange income reached 6 percent. The export price of dried figs was valued at $110 per ton.
The second most successful season took place
Describing dried figs as one of Turkey's prestige products, Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association President Birol Celep said that they, as Turkish exporters, are making a great effort to export dried figs, which is an export-dependent product, at the value they deserve, and with the peace of mind that they have fulfilled their responsibilities. He stated that they left the 2020/21 season behind and that they signed the second most successful season after the export level of 2014 thousand 76 tons in 901.
USA, the new owner of the summit in dried fig exports
Informing that they exported 2020 percent of the 21 thousand tons of harvest in the 85/85 season, Celep said, “We delivered Turkish figs to the people of 114 countries. We are carrying out the TURQUALITY Project, where we promote Turkish food products in order to consume more Turkish food products in the United States, the world's largest food importer. This season, our dried fig exports to the USA increased by 14 percent from 33 million dollars to 38 million dollars. The USA rose from the third to the first among the countries to which we export the most dried figs. We aim to exceed 50 million dollars in dried fig exports to the USA in the coming years.”
The fruits of TURQUALITY Projects are reaping
Reminding that they carried out a TURQUALITY Project covering Japan, South Korea and China between 2016-2020, Celep continued his words as follows: “The Far East, which hosts 40 percent of the world's population and is eager to taste new flavors, is one of our target markets in dried fig exports. In the 2020/21 season, our dried fig exports to Japan increased by 22 percent from $7,4 million to $9,1 million, our exports to China increased by 10 percent from $5,8 million to $6,4 million, Dried fig exports to South Korea increased by 27 percent from 1,8 million dollars to 2,4 million dollars. We will continue our promotional activities in the next period in order for our dried figs to be consumed more in the Far East.”
European market remains strong
Reminding that the traditional export market of Turkish dried figs is Europe, President Celep said that our dried fig exports to EU countries, which was 2019 million dollars in the 20/109 season, increased to 2020 million dollars in the 21/115 season, while the EU had a 45 percent share in our dried fig exports, and Germany's 37 million dollars is in the first place with demand, with 35 million dollars to France and Italy; He stated that we exported 11 million dollars of dried figs.
The target is 2021 thousand tons of export in 22/65 season
Emphasizing that they expect a 2021 percent decrease in the yield of dried figs in the 22/12 season, Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association President Birol Celep added that they aim to export 65 thousand tons of dried figs in the new season.
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