Türkiye Is World Leader in Cherry Production

Turkey, which leads the world in cherry production with a harvest of 700,000 tons, entered the 2023 season with targets of 80,000 tons of cherry exports and USD 200 million in foreign currency earnings. One of the primary cherry-producing centers in the Northern Hemisphere thanks to early cherry varieties and climatic advantages, Izmir Kemalpaşa, the capital of cherries, hosted a "Cherry Harvest Festival." Agriculture and Forestry Minister Prof. Dr. Vahit Kirişçi joined the "Cherry Harvest Festival" via video conference, while Izmir Member of Parliament Yaşar Kırkpınar, Izmir Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Director Mustafa Özen, Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman Hayrettin Uçak, Kemalpaşa District Governor Musa Sarı, Kemalpaşa Municipality Deputy Mayor Erhan Gönülbağı, Kemalpaşa Agricultural Chamber Chairman Bülent Oray, village administrators and producers attended in large numbers.

70 percent of Kemalpaşa's production is exported

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Prof. Dr. Vahit Kirişçi stated that Turkey possesses a very rich ecology and noted that four seasons and seven climates are experienced in the Anatolian geography, with this climate making Turkey the world leader in cherry production. Kirişçi said: "Growing an early-season product in cherry production provides an advantage to our producers. While Izmir produces 13 percent of Turkey's cherry production, Kemalpaşa produces 63 percent of Izmir's cherry production. 70 percent of Kemalpaşa's production is exported. We have supported our producers until today, and we will continue to support them going forward. Agriculture and livestock will be the locomotive of the new century. We will take steps toward planned agriculture and contracted production. We will not leave even an inch of land empty," he said.

"Izmir is number one in Turkey, Kemalpaşa is number one in Izmir"

Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman Hayrettin Uçak, noting that agricultural products produced in Turkey gain greater added value through exports, said: "While Izmir produces more than 100,000 tons of cherries and ranks first in Turkey, Kemalpaşa produced 52,000 tons of cherries and became number one in Izmir. As exporters, we work intensively to ensure that our producers receive fair compensation for their labor and hard work. In 2023, we aim to export 80,000 tons of cherries and bring USD 200 million to our country. By working together on a common platform—our producers, our companies, our Ministry, our Universities and Institutes—we can make cherries the flagship export product of Turkish agriculture and increase our position in the global export market," he said. Uçak also provided information about the largest export markets for Turkish cherries and continued: "Our most important markets are Germany and Russia. In countries such as India, Singapore and Hong Kong, our cherries are very popular, and we have potential to increase our exports to these countries."   Stating that Kemalpaşa grows the world's most delicious cherries, AKP Izmir Member of Parliament Yaşar Kırkpınar emphasized that Turkey ranks first in Europe and among the top 10 globally in agricultural output, and that they regard agriculture as a strategic sector like defense industry. Kırkpınar stressed that during the pandemic, while the entire world locked down at home, Turkish producers continued production, and said: "The pandemic showed us how important self-sufficiency is. We saw that no matter how wealthy you are, it becomes impossible to purchase from abroad. We will continue to produce and export. Turkish producers are experiencing their golden age in recent years," he stated. Izmir Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Director Mustafa Özen said that Turkish agriculture is very valuable to the world, that Turkish farmers produce not only for Turkey's 85 million population but for billions of people worldwide, and that Turkey's agricultural production has increased since 2020. Pointing out that 3,300 producers in Kemalpaşa conduct cherry production on 86,000 decares of land, Özen said: "None of the samples we received from Kemalpaşa show any residue. Our thanks to the Kemalpaşa producers for producing quality products; as long as we produce cherries of high quality, we will receive fair compensation for our labor," he said. Kemalpaşa Agricultural Chamber Chairman Bülent Oray stated that they have experienced significant increases in input costs, particularly in labor wages in cherry production, and expressed expectations for a price policy that would cover these costs.