Fruit Juice Industry Sets Export Target

Fruit Juice Industry Sets Export Target The Juiceful Istanbul Summit, an international conference organized by the Fruit Juice Industry Association (MEYED) and the industry's most important annual gathering, took place on 22 September 2022 Thursday at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel. Speaking at the event, MEYED Board Chairman Ozan Diren stated that Turkey's fruit juice exports had approached half a billion dollars and generated a trade surplus at the 95 percent level, saying, "If proper agricultural policies and industrial dynamics are ensured, we believe our industry will achieve our one billion dollar export target in the near future." The Juiceful Istanbul Summit 2022, organized by MEYED (Fruit Juice Industry Association) and serving as the industry's most important annual gathering as well as holding a prominent place in the sector's international calendar, was held on 22 September 2022 Thursday at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel. The summit brought together stakeholders from the fruit juice industry with over 200 domestic and foreign participants, featuring 15 presentations and speeches by institutional representatives from Turkey and abroad. In his opening remarks, MEYED General Secretary İpek İşbitiren said: "Since 2010, we have held our summits regularly, taking a mandatory two-year break due to the pandemic. Following this break, MEYED has once again brought together the stakeholders of our industry, which benefits agriculture, the economy, the environment and nutrition." Speaking at the event, MEYED Board Chairman Ozan Diren noted that Turkey's fruit juice exports had shown impressive growth, stating, "We anticipate Turkey's fruit juice exports for 2022 will exceed USD 450 million. Our fruit juice exports show consistent annual growth in the 20-25 percent range through the intensive efforts of our industry. More importantly, our industry, which produces and exports with domestic inputs, operates at a highly advanced level in net exports, and our exports, which have reached nearly half a billion dollars, consistently deliver a trade surplus at the 95 percent level. Our industry, which generates such high economic value, makes significant contributions to agriculture and development by sourcing from approximately one million farmers in Turkey. Fruit juice, whose benefits for human nutrition are recognized worldwide, is among the rare industries that exhibits a carbon-negative structure within the value chain extending from orchard to glass and also provides environmental benefits," he said. MEYED Board Chairman Ozan Diren also added that the Fruit Juice Industry invests approximately USD 5 million annually in R&D on an annual basis and provides direct employment to approximately 100,000 people.

Target: Exports Above USD 1 Billion

Noting that the global market for fruit juice stands at approximately USD 17 billion, Ozan Diren said, "In this market, which comprises branded exports and raw materials and semi-finished products, according to ITC data, Turkey's ranking rose from 17th in 2017 to 12th as of 2020. We maintained the same position in 2021. On the other hand, we aim for even more for our country. Our industry, besides its competitive structure, holds a respected position globally in areas such as technical knowledge, engineering, R&D, technology and machinery. Our fruit diversity, a sustainable natural wealth for our country, advances our competitive advantage further. We have set a goal of USD 1 billion in exports and believe that if proper agricultural policies and industrial dynamics are ensured, we will achieve this target in the near future, and we are pursuing our efforts in this direction with determination. Our longer-term goal is to increase Turkey's share of the global market to the 10 percent level," he said. MEYED Board Chairman Ozan Diren continued: "Another goal of our industry, which evaluates approximately 10 percent of fruit production in our country as raw material, is to incrementally increase this ratio to the 20 or even 30 percent level, given the expected increase in consumption and exports. This means a market guarantee for Turkish fruit producers. On the other hand, our industry draws its export strength from its position in the domestic market. In domestic consumption, which remains relatively low, there is also an impact from the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) application on nectar and fruit-based beverages categories, despite being agricultural products. The SCT application particularly negatively affects nectars, which are the most consumed category in our country. Exempting nectars, which generally contain 50 percent fruit, from SCT application would facilitate sales in the domestic market, support growth of a nutritious product with higher fruit content, create resources for easier purchasing of products, facilitate easier stockpiling, and generate more resources for export. This would benefit not only the sector but also consumers, domestic agriculture and the economy," he said. At the summit opening, MEYED Founding Chairman Prof. Dr. Aziz Ekşi also took the podium and delivered a speech on the industry's importance. The first presentation at the summit was delivered by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) Turkey Deputy Representative Dr. Ayşegül Selışık. Dr. Ayşegül Selışık, noting that FAO focuses on transformation of food production systems around the four-pronged axis of 'Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, Better Agriculture' in the face of threats such as food access and climate crisis, provided information on how current global developments are reflected in the fruit juice industry. Another speaker at the summit, FutureBright Group Founder Akan Abdula, addressed macroeconomic indicators and sociological dynamics in his presentation titled 'Consumption Wave Patterns in Turkey,' sharing his future perspectives. Nielsen IQ Beverage Industry Leader Esra Doyduk presented the changes and transformation journey in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods and Fruit Juice market trends with figures in her summit presentation. In the final morning session presentation, Fruit Juice Science Center Director Dr. Carrie Ruxton addressed the sources of misconceptions about fruit juice, a product whose benefits are scientifically proven, and how these can be overcome. At the Juiceful Istanbul Summit 2022, Döhler Business Development Manager Khalid Sedraoui delivered the first presentation after lunch, sharing information about global opportunities ahead for Turkey from a sectoral perspective. Escon Energy CEO Onur Ünlü, in his presentation titled 'The First Fuel of Green Transformation: Energy Efficiency,' evaluated the topic of energy efficiency, which holds a prominent place on the global agenda, from the perspective of food, agriculture and fruit juice industries. Aromsa Vice General Manager and Board Member responsible for R&D, Marketing and Technical Sales Melis Yasa Aytaman conveyed the fruit juice industry's agenda of functional benefits and transformation-focused innovation in her summit presentation. Tetra Pak Marketing Manager Müge Göksel delivered a presentation on changes in consumer trends and the opportunities they present to the industry. GEA Group Turkey Liquid Technologies Sales Manager Erdal Gavas addressed sugar reduction technologies in fruit juices and beverages in his presentation. Another speaker at the Juiceful Istanbul Summit 2022, Borusan Logistics Services CEO Serdar Erçal evaluated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the entire world on global trade and supply chains from the perspectives of yesterday (2020-2021), today (2022-2023) and tomorrow (2025-2030). Among the foreign guests at the Juiceful Istanbul Summit 2022, IFU (International Federation of Fruit Juice Producers) Executive Director John Collins shared the global outlook of the fruit juice industry from their perspective in his presentation titled 'Global Knowledge Sharing.' The final presentations at the summit were delivered jointly by AIJN (European Fruit Juice Association) General Secretary Wouter Lox and Sustainability and Technical Affairs Manager Justine Pradels, who provided current information from the perspective of European Union regulatory developments on the European market, which holds a significant share in our exports.