The Turkish fresh produce industry has had to deal with heavy hits from the frosts some time ago. According to Enes Gulbudak, foreign trade manager for Turkish apple exporter Gulbudak, their apple orchards have made it out relatively well: "This season, in the beginning, weather conditions were relatively favorable in major apple-growing regions. However, we did face big challenges; late spring frosts in certain areas affected the early-flowering varieties. Fortunately, timely interventions like frost protection and irrigation helped us mitigate any major damage. In general, Turkiye seems to grow 40% to 50% fewer apples compared to average years."
© GulbudakGulbudak states that there has been a shift in cultivating varieties more suited for export markets over the past years. "Over the past decade, apple acreage in Turkey has increased in general. There's also been a noticeable shift from traditional varieties like Starking, to ones more suited for export, such as Gala, Red Chief, and Granny Smith. This reflects Turkiye's strategy to align with global market demands and improve export potential. In the past few years, Gulbudak has successfully entered several key markets. We've built strong relationships in India over the past 10 years due to our consistent quality and packaging standards. Going forward, we are aiming to expand into Southeast Asia and African countries."
© Gulbudak
During the years of the pandemic, there were several problems in terms of logistics. However, these issues have mostly been resolved by now, Gulbudak explains: "One of the biggest challenges has been the logistics, especially the rising freight costs and container shortages have affected us a lot during Covid, but thankfully, the logistics issues are sorted now. Additionally, phytosanitary requirements in certain countries have tightened. At Gulbudak, we've addressed this by investing in pre-cooling facilities and maintaining strict compliance with international certifications. We've also worked closely with logistics partners to ensure timely and safe delivery."
© Gulbudak
"For the upcoming season, we're expecting a stable harvest both in terms of quantity and quality, when comparing our orchards with others. Our goal is to strengthen our presence in existing markets, while also entering some new ones. Even though the total Turkish fresh apple production will be lower, we're still targeting higher export loadings for our company. We're also focusing on sustainability, reducing our water usage and adopting more eco-friendly packaging solutions, as it is a must for our future goals," Gulbudak concludes.
For more information:
Enes Gulbudak
Gulbudak
Tel: +90 246 313 30 43
Mobile: +90 530 322 39 08
[email protected]
www.gulbudak.com.tr
