In the weeks running up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, demand was high. Oranges and mandarins are traditionally consumed in the Russian holiday season, which lasts until the 9th of January. While export companies are still sending fruit to Russia, most Russian consumers prefer locally produced fruit, of which there is still an abundance.
For Ucak, the lower prices haven’t been problematic. The company has a pricing policy that keeps the prices as low as possible in relation to profit margins. These margins aren’t really influenced by the weak Russian market, right now.
The current market for grapefruit is stable, though this type of fruit has always met with less demand than for oranges. Another problem is the competition from sweeter varieties from China.
Like grapefruit, the market for lemons is stable though typically sees less demand than oranges. Mandarins on the other hand are faced with a surplus on the market, in a similar way to oranges.
In spite of the current situation, Tanyol says 2016 has been a better year than 2015. The main reason for this is that trade between Turkey and Russia is no longer restricted. Turkish companies are now allowed to export citrus, vegetables and tomatoes to Russia. She does however acknowledge that 2016 wasn’t as good as 2014.
A main concern for companies like Ucak is the upcoming competition from Egypt. “Egyptian companies work with prices that are lower than ours. There is also no crucial difference in quality. But even if there were, the Russian economy right now is in a slump. This would mean that Russian consumers would be automatically drawn to cheaper citrus, even if the quality is inferior to ours,” concludes Tanyol.
The processing and export company, Uçak Kardeşler, was started in 1970. Currently, the company has facilities in Izmir, Mersin, Antalya and Manisa-Alaşehir. The company has been recognized as a major player within the Turkish fruit export sector, having won several awards from the Aegean Exporters’ Association. Uçak carries all relevant certificates, such as GlobalGAP.
For more information:
Tel: 90 232 743 34 34
UCAK Kardesler
Email: info@ucakkardesler.com.tr
www.ucakkardesler.com.tr