Turkey: Stone fruit bounces back
The reason for this year's success is good weather conditions during the critical bloom and harvest periods.
Stone fruit accounts for 14% of total Turkish fruit production. The bulk of the production is sold on the domestic market for fresh consumption.
However, this year exports also saw a rise, including, interestingly in the circumstances, an increase of peaches to Syria. Last season Syria imported just 490 MT of Turkish stone fruit, but this year this has risen to 3,120 MT.
Total cherry production this year has been 550,000 MT, up from 400,000 MT last season. Of this 57,000 is expected to be exported, primarily to Germany and Russia.
Over 100 variegates of cherries are produced in the country. The vast majority of exports are of the Turkish Napoleon cherry, which accounts for 90% of foreign sales.
Processed cherries account for 25% of total production.
Peaches and nectarines are expected to reach volumes in the region of 550,000 MT combined, a 6% increase on last year. Of this 45,000 MT will be exported, primarily to Russia.
Peaches and nectarines faired a little better than cherries last year, but volumes were still slightly reduced.
The Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions continue to be the mainstay of peach and nectarine production in the country. In contrast with other stone fruits, the bulk of the nectarine production is exported.