The Turkish weather has not spared the citrus production in the country, as this segment is also dealing with significant losses, says Akin Soyleyen, marketing manager for Turkish fruit exporter Aksun: "Compared to last season, overall Turkish citrus production is noticeably lower, due to the frost we experienced back in April, which caused losses across nearly all citrus varieties. Some were affected more than others, particularly the early Interdonato lemons, where production dropped sharply, leading us to miss some sales during that period and creating a gap between varieties. The frost in spring not only reduced yields, but also affected fruit sizing and overall quality in some areas, which naturally influenced our supply planning and harvest timing."
© AksunAs supply is lower, demand is naturally higher, Söyleyen states. "Demand, especially for lemons, has been very strong. Unfortunately, because of the limited crop, we can only meet a portion of that demand. The shortage has also pushed our costs higher, particularly on the labor side. Combined with the general economic environment and already high product prices, this season has been quite challenging cost-wise."
Other than citrus, Aksun also deals in various other products. For pomegranates and apples, the Turkish exporter has made some investments in its machinery, Söyleyen confirms: "We've made significant upgrades this year, to both our pomegranate and apple lines. Through our collaboration with Reemon, we installed a new sizer that has boosted our daily capacity by over 300 per cent. This will allow us to handle much higher pomegranate and apple volumes, and more efficiently as well."
© Aksun
Both the Turkish economic situation and the hardships in logistics remain difficult for Turkish fresh produce exporters to deal with, Söyleyen explains. "Beyond the lower crop and the resulting increase in costs, the ongoing inflationary environment makes it difficult to stay competitive. We hope that things normalize in the coming season, but it remains a shared struggle for exporters across the board. Another major issue is the continued tension in the Suez Canal, which forces most shipping lines to avoid that route. For companies like ours that depend heavily on long-distance markets, these reroutes have extended transit times and added considerable logistical pressure."
Although Turkish citrus exporters always deal with strong competition, Söyleyen emphasizes that the costs are the most pressing issue at the moment: "Right now, the toughest competition comes from within; managing our own cost pressures and operational challenges due to the shortage. This isn't unique to Turkey; competing countries like Egypt are also facing record-high prices. Especially in Asian markets, the current lemon supply doesn't meet demand. For oranges, the situation may differ, since the supply-demand balance there tends to be more stable. That's something we'll observe as the season progresses."
© Aksun
"This season, we're focusing more on grapefruits, soft citrus, and pomegranates. Although lemons remain one of our key products, the limited crop has forced us to scale back volumes compared to previous years. We're working to make up for that through stronger performance in our other product categories," 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/
