Turkey’s Chamber of Agriculture chairman Semsi Bayraktar, explains that an increase in fig production is expected this year, "Last year more than 300,000 tons of figs were produced, this year a 9.5% increase to 328,000 tons is expected."
Bayraktar, in a statement, draws attention to the fact that in general it has been a problem free fig season, “Spider mites and fig rust are not as prevalent as last year because our producers have prevented damage to the fruit with the use of agrochemicals.”
Bayraktar continues: “Figs are produced mostly in the coastal regions of our country because they are adapted to those environmental conditions. Fresh figs are mostly grown in the Marmara, Mediterranean, Black sea and Southeastern Anatolia. The most convenient place to grow figs is in the Bucuk and Kucuk Menderes basins. 61.4% of dried figs are produced in Aydin.”
According to data from 2012 from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Turkey produces 1.93 million tons of the fresh figs which equates to 25% of global demand, which means it is placed first for production. Turkey is followed by Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Algeria, Syria, the USA and Spain. Global fig production remains stable and similar amounts of production are made each year.
More than half of dried figs come from Turkey
Around 105,000 tons of dried figs are produced in Turkey, which equates to 53% of global production. Iran comes second with a 20.8% share and the USA takes third place with 8.8%.
According to TurkStat data, in 2011 Turkey produced 261,000 tons of figs, in 2012- 275,000, in 2013- 298,000, while last year production amounted to 300,000 tons.
Superior quality Aegean figs
Although figs are produced in almost all regions in Turkey, Bayraktar emphasises that high quality figs are grown in the Aegean region, “Around 35,000 families in the region work on fig cultivation and their livelihood is provided for by this product alone. Intensive labour is required to process the figs, and those working in the fig business obtain a large proportion of their income from the industry,” he provided.
The domestic market consumes 30% of fresh figs; 70% of dried figs are consumed on both the domestic and foreign markets, Bayraktar explains that as the biggest producer and exporter of dried figs, Turkey’s insufficient domestic consumption greatly affects prices. He states, “In general, our country meets more than half of world exports. In the last decade, on average our total exports of dried figs stood at 48,000 tons; an average of 82% of fig exports consisted of dried figs. Approximately half of these exports were made to European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and England, as well as the USA.”
Situation this season
The 2015 fig season started from August 15, reports Bayraktar, “According to information reaching our chambers, quality fresh figs are priced between €1.20 and €1.50, dried figs between €1.80 and €2.40. Although, some regions have seen splitting in the fruit, this problem is usually solved with measures taken by our producers. In the absence of any natural disasters, especially heavy rainfall, our producers should expect to have a good production year in both fresh and dried figs,” he said.
We will protect our figs
Bayraktar underlines the importance of Turkey defending its position as the undisputed leader in fig production, he touches upon the issues relating to figs:
“It is important to consistently uphold the necessary standards in order to produce quality products. Greater emphasis on training is paramount in teaching our manufactures to cultivate high quality produce. A large portion of our exports are made to the EU; in consideration of this, in order to increase our competitiveness against rival countries, implementation of 'good farming' practices has great importance. Aflatoxins occur in many foodstuffs, such as in figs. We need to take measures to prevent the formation of aflatoxin in products that could be harmful to human health. Meticulous and well timed implementation of agrochemicals is required to fight against disease and pests.
Dried figs should be consumed at most, one year after harvesting; high yields mean we are experiencing problems with annual stocks. To solve this problem and prevent a fall in prices, the necessary amount of product should be removed from the market and placed into storage and stock agencies similar to those in the USA and EU should be created .
The date of the initial installation of fig exports has great importance. Late announcement of the first shipping date creates problems for exporters preparing their products, and can also cause losses on the markets. Therefore, products should be completely ready for export without delay, for the first shipping date.
In order to increase the competitiveness of our dried figs and ensure the continuity of production, we want, and expect to benefit from exports.”
Source: zaman.com
