Agricultural Exports Set to Reach $1 Billion

Agricultural Exports to Reach USD 1 Billion Aegean Exporters Associations Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi stated, "In the Purchasing Delegation Organization we arranged, which included importers from Niger, Tajikistan, Mauritania, Kosovo, Russia and Ghana, 17 Turkish companies conducted over 200 bilateral business meetings. In 2023, exports from the Aegean Exporters Associations to these 6 countries reached USD 698 million. In the short term, there is potential to achieve USD 1 billion in exports to these countries. We will see the positive outcomes of this organization in the coming period. While Turkey exported USD 35 billion worth of agricultural products in 2023 with a 2.8 percent increase, the Aegean Exporters Associations achieved USD 7.315 billion in exports with an 8.8 percent increase, accounting for 20 percent of Turkey's agricultural product exports and becoming Turkey's champion in this sector. As the world's agricultural hub, the Aegean Region maintained its leadership in 2023 as well. We believe this positive trend will continue in 2024." he said. [caption id="attachment_159415" align="aligncenter"] Jak Eskinazi[/caption] President Eskinazi stated, "In the coming period, we forecast that we will reach USD 10 billion in agricultural exports with high-technology investments and a sustainability vision. To prepare the world's food supply security for the future, we must focus on the production phase. Thirty percent of products are wasted before reaching consumers' tables. We need to overcome food waste. Greentech, or green technology industry, is growing. The global environmental technology market is projected to reach EUR 9.4 trillion by 2030. Blockchain, big data and artificial intelligence are creating large-scale change in the agriculture sector. Sustainable agriculture can only be achieved through the application of automation and data science." he said. Jak Eskinazi concluded his remarks as follows: "We believe that the USD 600 million investment to be realized by 2030 to increase energy efficiency in agriculture, announced through our Energy and Natural Resources Ministry's Second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, will be an important milestone for our country. As the Aegean Exporters Associations, we invest in many projects ranging from combating pesticides to preventing food losses. To achieve our targets, state incentives for high-technology investments, Good Agricultural Practices and organic production are of considerable importance. As a leading region in agriculture, we continually need new investments serving the Sustainable Development Goals."