Although there still aren’t that many Turkish growers involved in the commercial production of apples, the Turkish apple sector does seem to be growing in volume. At the beginning of the spring season, apples are the best selling type of fruit on the Turkish market and will remain that way until summer. Most apples come from local growers and imported apples hardly have any market presence.
Big producers usually supply both to the local market and to export destinations, while some export companies rely on smaller growers for their produce. “The apple production in Turkey is increasing,” says Aysel Oguz of Anadolu Etap. “Producers are also interested in adopting new varieties. Right now, Turkey is at the top five of apple producing countries, with a volume of 3.9 million tons.
According to Oguz, Anadolu Etap is one of the largest apple producers in Turkey. “As our trees are reaching full maturity, we’re expecting an apple harvest of more than 30,000 tons.” Turkey is one of the top three countries with highest amount of apple consumption. The average Turkish consumer eats about 123 kg of apples per year, which is well above the worldwide average of 74 kg. A couple of years ago, new varieties like Fuji and Pink Lady were introduced on the Turkish market, which met with a great response.
“A large part of the success of these new varieties has to do with social media. We also put a lot of effort in promotion, such as organizing tasting demonstrations at retailers. Turkish consumers buy their fruit either in supermarkets or at local bazaars. Traditional markets like local bazaars are still one of the most important sales channels for Turkish distribution. However, the latest trends, such as fresh cut products, haven’t quite caught on yet in Turkey,” explains Oguz.
The prices for apples are usually lower at the beginning of the season and gradually increase until the end of Winter. Turkey exports its apples mostly to neighboring countries, the Middle East, India, Africa and Asia. The most important market for Turkish produce used to be Russia, especially after the Russian embargo on trade with Europe was put in place. However, due to political unease between Russia and Turkey, trade with Russia has taken a hit for Turkey as well.
“I truly hope that bilateral relations will be restored and that we’ll be able to sell apples to Russia. Right now, there is only a small list of product types allowed for export to Russia and apples aren’t currently on that list.”
Trade with Asia could be a promising alternative, although exporting to Asia does come with its own set of challenges. “Marketing apples to Asian countries can be difficult due to the lack of protocol with some of them. Turkish authorities are working hard on this matter and hopefully we’ll soon be able to properly export our produce to Asia,” explains Oguz.
Logistics are always an issue, especially during busy parts of the season or on national holidays. However, as trade to Asian markets is increasing in importance, Oguz expects shipping agencies to start improving their routes to Far East destinations.
“We also expect there will be initiatives in the near future to organize the Turkish apple sector. There already are similar groups for the marketing and promotion of citrus and hazelnuts.”
The current lack of organization for the Turkish apple sector hampers development. The country is now the fourth largest fruit producer in the world. Turkish growers and exporters play a significant role in other sectors as well, like for tangerines, lemons, cherries, grapes and apricots. This position could be significantly improved with a proper organisation for the apple sector.
Anadolu Etap was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between the Turkish companies Özgörkey Holding and the Brazilian company Cutrale Group. At present, Anadolu Etap has seven farms that are located in the Turkish regions Canakkale, Balikesir, Denizli, Konya, Mersin, Adana and Urfa.
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All farms combined provide the company with an acreage of 2,500 hectares. The company also has three processing plants and its own packing facilities. The main products that Anadolu Etap puts on the market are peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, apples, pears and pomegranates.
Anadolu Etap grows its apples on their farm in Balikesir which has an acreage of 1,000 hectares. This farm is the largest apple grower of its kind in Turkey. The company also has the largest farm for organic apples in Konya, with an acreage of 150 hectares.
“Turkish apples are getting a reasonable share in the markets in Asia, India and the Middle East. We believe Turkish apples are set to be one of the more popular fruits in these markets in the very near future,” Oguz concluded.
For more information:
Aysel Oguz
Anadolu Etap
Tel 0090-324-221-59-61
Email aysel.oguz@anadoluetap.com
www.anadoluetap.com
Big producers usually supply both to the local market and to export destinations, while some export companies rely on smaller growers for their produce. “The apple production in Turkey is increasing,” says Aysel Oguz of Anadolu Etap. “Producers are also interested in adopting new varieties. Right now, Turkey is at the top five of apple producing countries, with a volume of 3.9 million tons.
According to Oguz, Anadolu Etap is one of the largest apple producers in Turkey. “As our trees are reaching full maturity, we’re expecting an apple harvest of more than 30,000 tons.” Turkey is one of the top three countries with highest amount of apple consumption. The average Turkish consumer eats about 123 kg of apples per year, which is well above the worldwide average of 74 kg. A couple of years ago, new varieties like Fuji and Pink Lady were introduced on the Turkish market, which met with a great response.
“A large part of the success of these new varieties has to do with social media. We also put a lot of effort in promotion, such as organizing tasting demonstrations at retailers. Turkish consumers buy their fruit either in supermarkets or at local bazaars. Traditional markets like local bazaars are still one of the most important sales channels for Turkish distribution. However, the latest trends, such as fresh cut products, haven’t quite caught on yet in Turkey,” explains Oguz.
The prices for apples are usually lower at the beginning of the season and gradually increase until the end of Winter. Turkey exports its apples mostly to neighboring countries, the Middle East, India, Africa and Asia. The most important market for Turkish produce used to be Russia, especially after the Russian embargo on trade with Europe was put in place. However, due to political unease between Russia and Turkey, trade with Russia has taken a hit for Turkey as well.
“I truly hope that bilateral relations will be restored and that we’ll be able to sell apples to Russia. Right now, there is only a small list of product types allowed for export to Russia and apples aren’t currently on that list.”
Trade with Asia could be a promising alternative, although exporting to Asia does come with its own set of challenges. “Marketing apples to Asian countries can be difficult due to the lack of protocol with some of them. Turkish authorities are working hard on this matter and hopefully we’ll soon be able to properly export our produce to Asia,” explains Oguz.
Logistics are always an issue, especially during busy parts of the season or on national holidays. However, as trade to Asian markets is increasing in importance, Oguz expects shipping agencies to start improving their routes to Far East destinations.
“We also expect there will be initiatives in the near future to organize the Turkish apple sector. There already are similar groups for the marketing and promotion of citrus and hazelnuts.”
The current lack of organization for the Turkish apple sector hampers development. The country is now the fourth largest fruit producer in the world. Turkish growers and exporters play a significant role in other sectors as well, like for tangerines, lemons, cherries, grapes and apricots. This position could be significantly improved with a proper organisation for the apple sector.
Anadolu Etap was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between the Turkish companies Özgörkey Holding and the Brazilian company Cutrale Group. At present, Anadolu Etap has seven farms that are located in the Turkish regions Canakkale, Balikesir, Denizli, Konya, Mersin, Adana and Urfa.
All farms combined provide the company with an acreage of 2,500 hectares. The company also has three processing plants and its own packing facilities. The main products that Anadolu Etap puts on the market are peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, apples, pears and pomegranates.
Anadolu Etap grows its apples on their farm in Balikesir which has an acreage of 1,000 hectares. This farm is the largest apple grower of its kind in Turkey. The company also has the largest farm for organic apples in Konya, with an acreage of 150 hectares.
“Turkish apples are getting a reasonable share in the markets in Asia, India and the Middle East. We believe Turkish apples are set to be one of the more popular fruits in these markets in the very near future,” Oguz concluded.
For more information:
Aysel Oguz
Anadolu Etap
Tel 0090-324-221-59-61
Email aysel.oguz@anadoluetap.com
www.anadoluetap.com