The tomato is a prominent supplier of all kinds of tomato products, says Emel Esin Keskin, owner of Turkish fresh produce exporter Esin Tarim: "As is known in the sector, Turkey is one of the world's leading tomato producers with an annual production of approximately 14 million tons. Tomatoes are exported not only fresh but also in significant quantities in dried, diced, frozen, and dehydrated forms."
According to Keskin, Türkiye's fresh tomato exports did very well during the first quarter of the year. "In 2025, Türkiye exported tomatoes worth $401,193,000 to 51 countries. While the revenue from tomato exports in the January-March period of last year was $161,183,000, this figure increased by 11.8% to $180,163,000 in the same period this year. This year, Romania became our largest export destination. Between January and March, Türkiye sold 42,766,000 tons of tomatoes to Romania, followed by Russia with 27,263,000 tons and Ukraine with 16,776,000 tons."
Keskin emphasizes that there are several prominent fresh tomato varieties from Türkiye that are exported. "One of the main varieties is the cluster tomato, which is particularly preferred in the European market. Then there's the cherry tomato, with its small size, it holds a high volume in export price bulletins. The cocktail tomato is a trending variety in exports due to its aroma and size. There's also the beef Tomato, this variety is exported due to its large size, fleshy and durable structure. Finally we have the egg type tomato; a durable variety weighing 130-150 grams, widely used in greenhouse cultivation."
"We see that Turkish tomatoes have a strong position in international markets. Especially due to the impact of quality, sustainable cultivation, and modern greenhouse investments, our export performance is improving year by year," Keskin continues. "The increasing demand in the European market, particularly in Romania, and the continuity in important buyer countries such as Russia and Ukraine, represent a significant advantage for our sector."
The ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States is causing significant increases in energy costs worldwide, and this is no different for the tomato growers, Keskin states: "This situation is particularly raising production costs in Europe. For growers operating in greenhouses abroad that use natural gas, these increases are making sustainability difficult. Türkiye, thanks to its geothermal resources, has gained a significant cost advantage in production. The widespread use of geothermal energy makes Türkiye more competitive compared to many other countries, especially in the greenhouse sector."
"We're in a position to compensate for the setbacks we experienced last year in 2026. Tomato exports are very important for Turkish agriculture. Last year's adverse weather conditions created some disadvantages in tomato production, as in other products. However, reaching an export figure of 401 million dollars shows the strength of the sector, and importing countries continue to increase their quotas every day," Keskin concludes.
For for information:
Emel Esin Keskin
Esin Tarim
Tel: +90 537 617 56 29
Esin@esintarım.com.tr
www.esintarim.com.tr
