Turkish Dried Fruit Industry Achieves $160 Million in Exports

Turkish dried fruit sector achieved exports of USD 160 million in January 2024, up 26 percent. The sector took a significant step towards reaching its year-end export target of USD 1.8 billion for 2024. The Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association, which accounts for 60 percent of Turkey's dried fruit exports, showed even stronger performance in January. EKMİB, which increased its exports by 38 percent from USD 67 million to USD 92.5 million, became the export growth leader among the 12 exporters' associations within the Aegean Exporters Association. Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association Board Chairman Mehmet Ali Işık stated, "Turkey's dried fruit exports increased by 2 percent in volume terms and 26 percent in value terms in January. In the Aegean region, we showed an even stronger performance. We performed above the national average. Our Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association increased exports by 38 percent from USD 67 million to USD 92.5 million, making us the export growth leader within the Aegean Exporters Association. We export an annual average of 500,000 tonnes of dried fruit. We are the world's dried fruit warehouse. As the dried fruit sector, we aim to reach USD 1.8 billion nationwide and USD 1.1 billion in the Aegean Region in 2024." he said.

Chairman Işık explained that as the Turkish dried fruit sector they exported to 103 countries in the first month of 2024, and continued as follows:

"Among the countries where Turkey exports the most, we exported to Germany USD 20 million with a 23 percent increase, to the United States USD 16 million with a 58 percent increase, to the United Kingdom USD 13 million with a 26 percent increase, to Italy USD 8 million with a 40 percent increase, to the Netherlands USD 7 million, to Australia USD 6 million with an 85 percent increase, and to Japan USD 5.5 million with a 104 percent increase."

Mehmet Ali Işık concluded as follows:

"In January, 37 percent of our exports, amounting to USD 41 million, consisted of raisins, USD 37 million of dried apricots, USD 33 million of figs with a 58 percent increase, USD 21 million of pistachios with a 198 percent increase, USD 7 million of other dried fruits, USD 5 million of other roasted fruits with a 25 percent increase, USD 5 million of almonds, USD 2.6 million of pine nuts with a 141 percent increase, USD 2.4 million of roasted chickpeas with a 25 percent increase, USD 2.3 million of walnuts, USD 860,000 of apricot and sour cherry kernels, USD 684,000 of dried apples with a 16 percent increase, and USD 298,000 of dried plums. Our exports to Far East and Asia-Pacific countries rose to USD 19 million. We recorded export increases of 97 percent to China, 153 percent to South Korea, 70 percent to Hong Kong, and 448 percent to Indonesia. Taiwan was another country where we experienced astronomical export growth. As the Turkish dried fruit sector, we have set an export target of USD 1.8 billion for 2024. We will maintain our global leadership in production and exports in 2024 as well."