The harvest is still quite a few months away, but preparations are already ongoing, says Ceren Urkmez, CEO of Turkish blueberry trader Misi Farm: "This season has been very promising for Misi Farm. We cultivate mid-high chill blueberry varieties, with our harvest season running from June through September. Our cultivation is progressing well, and we work with Fall Creek plants, which provide us with high-quality, consistent yields."
Urkmez states that their blueberry operation is expanding with major steps every year. "We've been on a strong growth trajectory. Each year, we double our planted capacity by adding new seedlings to our fields. This rapid expansion reflects our confidence in the blueberry market and our long-term commitment to scaling sustainable production. We've also invested in a professional, high-capacity optical sorting and packaging machine."
© Nick Peters | FreshPlaza.com
It isn't all smooth sailing, though. Urkmez explains that managing the cold chain is one of the hardest parts of the logistics process: "Two of the most significant challenges in blueberry export are price volatility and cold chain logistics. Blueberries are a delicate fruit, and maintaining an unbroken cold chain from harvest to delivery is absolutely critical. We take this very seriously. We carefully select our logistics partners and ensure that our cold chain facility maintains ideal temperature and humidity levels at all times. Our berries are packed and loaded onto trucks without ever leaving the cold chain environment. Throughout transit, we conduct regular temperature checks to guarantee that the integrity of the product is preserved all the way to the customer."
According to Urkmez, navigating price fluctuations is also an essential part of Misi Farm's operation. "Price volatility is an industry-wide challenge that requires careful planning, strong market diversification, and the ability to scale. We believe that as we grow our volumes and deepen our presence in international markets, we'll be in an increasingly stronger position to navigate these fluctuations. We're in active communication with buyers across multiple regions. Our main target markets include Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. We see strong potential in all three regions and are working to establish solid partnerships in each of them."
Misi Farms has exhibited during Fruit Logistica in Berlin, which was a great success for the company: "Fruit Logistica was a fantastic experience for us. We had the opportunity to meet a great number of people from across the industry and from many different countries. It was truly inspiring. Turkey is still relatively new to blueberry farming, but there is significant investment happening, and the sector is growing rapidly. As a Turkish company, being present at Fruit Logistica felt both exciting and proud; we believe Turkey is on the verge of making its mark on the global blueberry market, and we want Misi Farm to be at the forefront of that journey," Urkmez concludes.
For more information:
Ceren Urkmez
Misi Farm
Tel: +90 533 556 4707
[email protected]
www.misifarm.com
