It's been a troublesome apple season for Turkish exporters, but one specific region did come out ahead, says Tayfun Kaya, export manager for Turkish fresh produce exporter Anı Tarım: "The 2025/2026 apple season in Turkey started off quite challenging. We clearly felt the impact of this year's frost. In key production regions like Niğde and Karaman, production was almost non-existent. Most of the available fruit came from Isparta, where we did have a supply, but the sizes were generally medium to small. On the positive side, we did not face any issues with the coloration of the apples."
© Ani Tarim Meyve Gıda
The season isn't over yet, as Kaya emphasizes that Anı Tarım is currently still purchasing more apples, also for the domestic market. "Before the harvest, we secured around 3,000 tons of apples. After our harvest, with additional purchases from cold storage, we have exceeded 8,000 tons so far, and we are still continuing to buy more. The defining factor of this season has been the domestic market. A large portion of the fruit was packed for supermarket chains. Demand in the local market has been strong, and honestly, it's what kept the season going for us."
© Ani Tarim Meyve Gıda
Although exports were lower this year, India did remain a key destination for the Turkish exporter, Kaya states: "On the export side, demand remained limited due to high prices. Still, we maintained regular shipments to India, our strongest market, loading a few containers per week and keeping the connection alive. Thankfully, we did not face any major logistical issues, and operations have been running smoothly overall. Despite the weaker export demand, our strong position in the domestic market has allowed us to continue operations throughout the season. Our packing facility has been running every day."
© Ani Tarim Meyve Gıda
There are a few more months left in the season, and Anı Tarım will try to stretch it out for even longer if possible. "We're planning to continue the season until mid-June. Possibly extending into mid-July. Looking ahead, we expect similar conditions to continue: although prices may not be as high as at the beginning of the season, they're still expected to remain at relatively high levels, while domestic demand is expected to stay strong," Kaua concludes.
For more information:
Tayfun Kaya
Anı Tarım Fresh Fruit Ltd.Co.
Tel: +90 530 259 89 02
[email protected]
www.anitarim.com.tr
