Turkish avocados will soon be available in the Netherlands. Ramazan Sari, Dutch representative for Turkish fruit exporter Exporyum, will use his connections to bring the fruit to the Dutch territory and sell it from that point. He's excited about his new endeavour: "I'll be importing the avocados from Turkey and selling them from the Netherlands. Given the growth of the avocado sector in Turkey, I feel like we have a solid opportunity to connect buyers with the Turkish tropical fruits. As the harvest is starting, we'll have good volumes available soon."
© Exporyum
The growth of acreage for Turkish avocado cultivation has skyrocketed in recent years, Sari explains. "According to data from TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute), in 2004, avocados were cultivated on only 70 hectares of land. By 2023, this acreage had increased 67-fold to 4,720 hectares. In this same period, avocado production rose from 400 tons to 38,462 tons, a 96-fold increase. The main growth in avocado production occurred in 2022. As previously non-fruiting trees began to bear fruit, production increased by 343 per cent in that year, rising from 9,081 tons to 40,184 tons. Avocado fruits come in various shapes, colors, and sizes. The size of the fruit ranges from 100 to 1,000 grams. The fruits can be round, oval, or pear-shaped."
It's not just the avocado that is growing in popularity among growers, Sari emphasizes several other tropical fruits are available to import from the Turkish traders: "In Antalya, a major player in fresh fruit and vegetable production, the variety of crops is increasing year by year. In this city, more than 30 tropical fruits are grown, from mango and pineapple to papaya, kumquat, dragon fruit, and passionfruit. Avocado production in Antalya has also seen a significant increase in recent years. In the past five years, avocado production in the city has more than tripled."
© Exporyum
"According to 2023 data from TÜİK, approximately 55% of the avocado production in Turkey takes place in Antalya, 43% in Mersin, and 2% in other provinces (Muğla, Adana, and Hatay). About 80% of Antalya's total production comes from the Alanya district. The impact of low temperatures on avocados varies depending on the cultivar and its varieties. It is generally reported that avocado cultivation becomes risky in areas where temperatures fall below -4 °C or -5 °C," Sari concludes.
For more information:
Ramazan Sari
Exporyum
Tel: +31 648822322
[email protected]
Mevlüt yıldırım
Tel: +90 5389455550
