Turkey Meets 58 percent of the World's Dried Figs Need

Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association, where Turkey is the world leader in production and export of dried figs, brought together all parties of the sector at the "Dried Fig Board" meeting in Aydın, the capital of dried fig production.

Organized by the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association in a hotel in Aydın, the "Dried Fig Board" meeting brought together the officials of Aydın Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, export companies, Fig Research Institute, Aydın Commodity Exchange and Nazilli Commodity Exchange in the dried fig sector.

Expressing that dried figs are one of Turkey's most prestigious export products, Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association President Mehmet Ali Işık said that they brought 2022 million dollars in foreign currency to Turkey in exchange for 70 thousand tons of dried fig exports in 246, and that in 2023 70 thousand tons of exports. shared their goals.

“Turkey meets 58 percent of the world's dried fig need”

EKMMİB President Mehmet Ali Işık, who shared the knowledge that Turkey meets 58 percent of the world's dried fig need, said, “As the dried fig sector, we export to 115 countries. The first country we exported to was the United States of America with 37 million dollars of exports. France ranked second with exports of 31 million dollars. The third place in the list of the countries we export the most to is Germany with 30 million dollars.

Stating that dried figs are produced on more than 37 million trees in an area of ​​7 thousand hectares in Aydın, Aydın Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Director Ahmet Öktem underlined that 31% of the dried fig production areas in Aydın are organic farming.

Öktem, sharing the knowledge that 65-70 thousand tons of dried figs are grown in Aydın over the years, said, “Aydın meets 85% of Turkey's dried fig production and 60% of the world. “Aydin Figs” is also one of the 8 products of our country that have the EU geographical indication. The amount of dried figs prepared by exporting companies in 2022 and allowed to be exported after being examined by our Provincial Directorate is 48 thousand 649 tons. There are 170 fig enterprises and 166 fig warehouses in our province. We provide quarantine services to our exporters with a total of 16 inspectors, 5 in the center of Aydın, 2 in Nazilli, and 25 in each of our Sultanhisar and Söke districts.

“EKMMİB supports producers”

Öktem said that they organized many training meetings for dried fig producers to produce quality products and reached thousands of producers.

“In the last 3 years, we have distributed approximately 45 thousand fig saplings, 3 thousand 34 fig drying cradles, 750 cover nets and 3 thousand sour traps to our producers in the last 560 years with the support of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association. On behalf of our producers and the industry, I would like to thank the Presidents and Managers of the Aegean Exporters' Associations for their contribution and support to our producers who produce figs that add flavor to our tables.”

At the "Dried Fig Board" meeting, under the moderation of Yusuf Gabay, Vice Chairman of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association, the steps to be taken to ensure better quality production of dried figs and not to increase the frequency of control in exports to the European Union were discussed.

EKMMİB Vice President Yusuf Gabay stated that the European Union increased the control frequency in dried figs from 2019 percent to 10 percent in 20, and that it is on the agenda to increase it to 30 percent this year. He stated that he will make a written application to the EU Commission through his Ministry. Gabay said, “In the coming period, we can reduce the number of feedbacks of our quality dried figs by being much more careful by both our producers and exporters, and we can ensure that the frequency of control decreases over the years. As exporters, we process dried figs like gold.”