Aegean Exporters' Association Tops Agricultural Exports

EIB Champion in Agricultural Exports While Turkey exported USD 34.2 billion worth of agricultural products in 2022 with a 15% increase, the Aegean Exporters Associations achieved a 17% increase with USD 6.727 billion in exports, accounting for 19% of Turkey's agricultural product exports alone and becoming Turkey's champion. Aegean agricultural exporters emphasize the importance of state incentives for Good Agricultural Practices and Organic Production to reach USD 10 billion. The Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association increased its 2022 exports by 5% to USD 1.246 billion. The Aegean Cereals, Legumes and Oilseeds Exporters Association achieved USD 1 billion in exports with a 46% increase for the first time in its history.

This positive momentum will continue in 2023: Agriculture-based specialized industrial zones represent a major opportunity for Turkey

Aegean Exporters Associations Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi: "Seven of our 12 Exporters Associations consist of clusters of our agricultural product exporters. In 2022, a critical period when the world and our country experienced recession and financial crisis climate, our agricultural sectors experienced the golden age of their history. In 2022, our agricultural sectors' exports increased by 17% to USD 6.727 billion. We are a strong player globally in dried fruits, processed products, olives and olive oil, aquaculture products, spices, tobacco, non-wood forest products, and organic production. We believe this positive trend will continue in 2023. In the coming period, with high-technology investments and a sustainability vision, we forecast that we will reach USD 10 billion in agricultural exports. As a leading region in agriculture, we always need new investments serving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Dikili Agriculture-Based Specialized Organized Industrial Zone, which we are a stakeholder in and which is Europe and Turkey's largest modern greenhouse and agricultural industry cluster, as well as the Agriculture-Based Specialized Floriculture Organized Industrial Zone established in Bayındır, will reveal significant potential. The Agriculture-Based Specialized Dairy Organized Industrial Zone to be established in Bergama, and the Plant Production Agriculture-Based Specialized Organized Industrial Zone to be established in Kınık regarding seeds, seedlings and medicinal aromatic plants represent a major advantage for our country at a time when concerns about food are increasing around the world." he said.

Organic and value-added products play a major role in increasing agricultural exports

EIB Organic Products and Sustainability Coordinator and Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters Association Chairman Mehmet Ali Işık noted that Aegean agricultural exports experienced an increase of over USD 1 billion in 2022. "Aegean agriculture has significant global strength in production. Organic and value-added products played a major role in export growth. Our position as the primary supplier of Mediterranean cuisine and Mediterranean products is our greatest advantage. In Turkey, predominantly fresh vegetables and fruits are exported, while in the Aegean region processed products are exported more. Our yellow fig, in which we are globally the leader in production and exports, is a special product grown only in the Aydın region. Our Sultaniye raisins are again a product specific to the Aegean region. Malatya's Şekerpare Apricot is also processed and shipped in the Aegean region. A large portion of fish production in aquaculture is done in our region. We increased our grape production from 100,000 tons to 350,000 tons, our fig production from 15,000 tons to 100,000 tons, and our apricot production from 20,000 tons to 120,000 tons. Aegean's approach to agriculture and food is entirely based on sustainability. The reason we are the global leader in dried fruits is the infrastructure we have built together for 30-40 years with our universities, research institutes and exporters. The EIB manages coordination in sustainability and organic farming in Turkey. We have around USD 500 million in organic exports, and we will increase it to USD 1 billion."

Good Agricultural Practices and organic farming incentives are needed

Işık said: "We are preparing our infrastructure throughout all processes from production to export. We are building our industry according to organic farming. What happened during the pandemic, climate change, and third, the Ukraine-Russia war demonstrated how strategic a product food is. Europe aims for 30% of agriculture to transition to organic farming by 2030. This is a very strong message for us as well. We also need to make this same restructuring. To build this infrastructure, farmers must be supported worldwide. Incentives for both Good Agricultural Practices and organic farming practices are needed. Product-based support is needed. Not per-hectare production. Similarly, watershed-based production should be incentivized. Likewise, biological and biotechnical pest control must be supported. With a fragmented land structure, you have no chance of success in biological and biotechnical pest control. But only if you conduct biological and biotechnical pest control in those regions on a watershed basis can you achieve pesticide-free production. These should be our goals for the next 8-10 years. The supports given and to be given by the state need to be structured according to these dynamics." he said.