Turkish fresh produce has had to endure a difficult year, in part due to the spring frosts that occurred last year. One particular kind of citrus has managed to avoid most of the problems, though, says Akin Söyleyen, marketing manager for Turkish fruit exporter Aksun: "Heading into this season, expectations were modest for Turkish produce. Last year's April frost left its mark on a wide range of crops, from apples and citrus to stone fruits, and the general feeling was that volumes would be down across the board. For most of these fruits, that prediction has unfortunately held true, with one notable exception: mandarins."
© Aksun
According to Söyleyen, recent weather conditions also had an impact on the Turkish mandarins, but the season should continue for a little while longer. "Murcott and Tango varieties turned out to be the standout performers this season, offering consistently good supply when many other categories fell short. That said, the past couple of weeks have brought heavy rainfall that has affected this crop as well, and Turkey isn't alone in this, with Spain and Morocco facing similar weather challenges for nearly a month now. Fortunately, we had anticipated this and managed to harvest all of our fruit in time. The mandarin season is expected to continue for another one to one and a half months."
© Aksun
Other than citrus, Aksun has also wrapped up the pomegranate season and is preparing for the season start for several other fruits, Söyleyen explains: "When it comes to pomegranates, the season has been a real success story. Thanks to our new packing line and well-timed harvesting plans, we continue to supply good-quality fruit, and the season is still going strong. Looking ahead to summer, it's still too early to say much about watermelon plantings. The rains may cause some delays, but if the weather warms up as expected, we should be starting on schedule as usual. We remain optimistic on that front."
© Aksun
Although it's too early to say for sure, the outlook for Turkish stone fruits is positive as of now, Söyleyen states. "As for stone fruits, the good news is that we're not currently facing anything like the late frost that hit us last year. Of course, it's worth remembering that last season's damaging cold spells didn't arrive until April, so it would be premature to make firm predictions just yet. But if everything continues on track, our expectations are very positive for all stone fruit categories this summer."
"All in all, it's been an unpredictable season; but one that has also shown the resilience of the Turkish produce sector and the importance of preparation and timing in navigating these challenges," Söyleyen concludes.
For more information:
Akin Söyleyen
Aksun
Tel: +90 324 234 41 90
Mobile: +90 532 590 75 92
Email: [email protected]
www.aksun.com.tr/en/
