Fruit and Vegetable Products Exports Exceed $1 Billion

Ege Yaş Meyve Sebze İhracatçıları Birliği, which holds a leading position in Turkey's processed fruit and vegetable exports, has exceeded USD 1 billion in exports over the past 12 months. The sector currently exports at USD 2.5 billion level and aims to increase this to USD 5 billion by the end of 2028. Ege Yaş Meyve Sebze İhracatçıları Birliği, which ended 2023—the centennial year of the Republic—with export records, made a strong start to 2024. In the first 23 days of 2024, EYMSİB increased processed fruit and vegetable exports by 37 percent from USD 50 million to USD 68.6 million, and recorded USD 1 billion 168 million in processed fruit and vegetable exports over the past year.

Second food sector to surpass USD 1 billion threshold

Ege Su Ürünleri ve Hayvansal Mamuller İhracatçıları Birliği had been the only food sector within Ege İhracatçı Birlikleri to exceed the USD 1 billion threshold with USD 1 billion 127 million in aquatic products exports in 2023. The processed fruit and vegetable sector has now become the second food sector under EİB to surpass the USD 1 billion mark.

43% from Aegean region

Hayrettin Uçak, Deputy Coordinator President of Ege İhracatçı Birlikleri and President of Ege Yaş Meyve Sebze İhracatçıları Birliği, noted that they account for 43 percent of Turkey's processed fruit and vegetable exports, emphasizing that Turkey has state-of-the-art processed fruit and vegetable facilities processing delicious fruits and vegetables grown across seven geographical regions of Turkey and transforming them into value-added products, and that the ecosystem exists for rapid growth in Turkey's processed fruit and vegetable sector exports. Stating that combined exports of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables have reached USD 6 billion level, President Uçak said, "With a wide range of products, our fresh and processed fruit and vegetable sectors supply tables across the four corners of the world. Fruit juices, tomato paste, pickles, dried tomatoes, fruit preserves, sauces, alcoholic beverages, healthy snacks, ready-to-eat foods, and frozen fruits and vegetables are our leading export products in the processed fruit and vegetable sector. Our processed fruit and vegetable sector has undertaken a mission of adding value to our products and increasing our export revenues."

TURQUALITY Project to double processed fruit and vegetable exports

Uçak noted that the processed fruit and vegetable sector will launch a new TURQUALITY Project in 2024 under the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce, prioritizing the United Kingdom market. "As food sectors within Ege İhracatçı Birlikleri, thanks to our TURQUALITY Project called 'Turkish Tastes,' which we have been running for 5 years to increase awareness and exports of Turkish food products in the US market, we increased our food exports to the US by 151 percent over 5 years from USD 138 million to USD 346 million. We believe that our processed fruit and vegetable sector's New TURQUALITY Project, the implementation of Dikili Agriculture-Based Specialized Organized Industrial Zone, and marketing activities we will conduct under the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce will multiply our processed fruit and vegetable exports and exceed USD 5 billion by 2028," he said.

Aegean exporters built the world's pickles

President Uçak shared that in the USD 1 billion 168 million in processed fruit and vegetable exports made by Ege Yaş Meyve Sebze Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği members over the past 12 months, pepper pickles group ranked first with USD 144 million. He summarized the export figures for other product groups as follows: "Dried tomato exports USD 115 million, gherkin pickle exports USD 111.5 million, apple juice and concentrates exports USD 91 million, frozen tomato exports USD 49 million, roasted vegetables USD 42.5 million, tomato paste USD 42 million, frozen strawberries USD 27.5 million."

Germany, USA and UK preferred Turkish processed fruits and vegetables most

Leadership in processed fruit and vegetable exports from Ege Yaş Meyve Sebze İhracatçıları Birliği was determined by a photo finish. Germany ranked first with demand of USD 176.5 million, while the USA, accelerating exports with the Ege İhracatçı Birlikleri TURQUALITY Project, tied for first place with USD 176.2 million. The United Kingdom entered the list in third place with demand of USD 86 million. Netherlands, Italy, Canada, France, Poland, Australia, and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus were among the top 10 countries in processed fruit and vegetable exports. Over the past 12 months, EYMSİB exported processed fruits and vegetables to 124 countries.