Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sector in the Earthquake Zone

Fresh Produce Sector in Earthquake Zone Turkey's fresh produce sector, one of the country's strongest in logistics infrastructure, is transporting relief supplies from across Turkey to earthquake-affected areas using cold-chain-compatible vehicles. As Turkey was struck by two earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 in magnitude, logistics needs reached critical levels. The fresh produce sector mobilized its logistics advantage for earthquake victims. Hayrettin Uçak, Deputy Chairman Coordinator of Aegean Exporters Associations and Chairman of Aegean Fresh Produce Exporters Association, said "It is time to rise from our ashes again," noting that the fresh produce sector has mobilized to transport supplies from across Turkey to earthquake zones. Uçak said that the needs in the earthquake zone have been listed by AFAD and shared with the public. "Provincial administrations, sub-provincial authorities, municipalities, AFAD, the Red Crescent, and NGOs in our region are meeting these needs. We are also taking an active role to ensure these supplies reach our earthquake-affected citizens quickly and correctly. We have deployed all our logistics capabilities to deliver aid to the earthquake zone according to requests from the provinces. We are delivering relief supplies collected from these regions to 10 of our provinces under AFAD's guidance. Day and night, we are at the service of our brothers and sisters in the region, at the command of our State," he said. In addition to mobilizing the sector's logistics capabilities, Chairman Uçak emphasized that they are delivering perishable food items to earthquake victims. "With the approval of our Ministry of Commerce, all exporter associations nationwide have begun working to use our total resource of TRY 30,500,000 in the earthquake zone and to heal the wounds of the disaster. In the aid campaign called 'Izmir Running to Help,' which we launched with the approval of Izmir's Provincial Administration, we collected over TRY 30 million in resources in a short time. With these resources, from prefabricated houses to generators, from baby formula to sleeping bags, from heaters to food, from shrouds to coffins, from heavy machinery to clothing—thousands of items—we are sending to earthquake zones by land, air and sea. Our mobilization will continue until the wounds of the earthquake are healed," he said.