It's been one of the most difficult and challenging seasons in decades for Turkish apple exporters, says Alper Kerim, owner of Turkish fruit exporter Demir Fresh Fruits (DFF): "The current Turkish apple season is the worst season that has been seen in the last 50 years, maybe. There are fewer apples available, the quality of the apples is low, and the sizes are rather small. The decrease in the crop is around 50 per cent if you compare it to the harvest of 2024-2025. If you ask me for a prediction, I would say that the Turkish apple season will finish in May."
© Demir Fresh Gida San. VE TIC.LTD.STI.
DFF usually has its main focus on India, but Kerim states that the prices for Turkish apples have made the fruit unattractive for buyers in India. "There is still demand from India, of course. However, the prices are not supporting trade as much. Turkish local supermarkets are buying apples from traders at around 1.5USD EXW in plastic crates. When you take this into account for export prices, which are increasing as a result of this, Turkish apples are currently more expensive than USA apples. This situation isn't workable from an Indian importer's standpoint, and thus they're looking for other options."
The hardships that came with the spring frost in 2025 have forced Kerim to change its approach for the market in India: "After we faced the spring frosts of last year, we've made some changes to our strategy, and we had a partnership with one of the biggest Iranian apple producers. We decided to invest more in Iranian apples, which are also quite popular among consumers in India. And we made an investment to Iran apples, which are also so popular in India. This meant we continued export from Iran to India, via our company in Dubai, and it's been going very well so far."
© Demir Fresh Gida San. VE TIC.LTD.STI.
Kerim remains positive for the new season, which can only get better than the current one. "The Turkish apple season will be finished in two to three months, mainly with local sales, and we'll have to wait for the new season, which will start in August. Preparations for this new upcoming season have been positive. Current weather conditions are perfect. There's good flowering in the apple orchards, and we expect good volume in Turkey next season. As a nice contrast, I hope it'll be the best season in 50 years, this time!"
For more information:
Alper Kerim
Demir Fresh Fruits
Tel: +90 532 514 2080
Email: [email protected]
www.dff.com.tr
