Aquaculture Sector Sets Export Target

Aquaculture and Animal Products Sector Sets Export Target The aquaculture and animal products sector, which met global protein demand and generated USD 4.066 billion in foreign exchange for Turkey in 2022, has set an export target of USD 5 billion for 2026. Bedri Girit, Chairman of the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association (ESÜHİB), stated that since the early 2000s they have been one of the star export sectors, and after 22 years of increasing exports annually, they reached USD 4.066 billion by the end of 2022. He noted that they achieved their 2023 export target of USD 3.5 billion one year ahead of schedule, surpassing it by USD 566 million, and have set an export target of USD 5 billion for 2026. Speaking at the ESÜHİB 2022 annual general meeting held at the Aegean Exporters Associations, Girit said, "The aquaculture sector provided the largest contribution to our USD 4.066 billion export with USD 1.637 billion in exports. The poultry meat and egg sector followed the aquaculture sector with USD 1.492 billion in exports. Poultry meat exports reached USD 1.095 billion, while egg exports totaled USD 397 million; our dairy and dairy products sector achieved USD 505 million in export performance. The honey sector generated USD 45 million for Turkey, while exports of other products generated USD 383 million in foreign exchange. As the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association, we captured 39 percent of our sector's total exports with USD 1.6 billion in exports and continued to be the association with the highest exports," he said.

Aegean's 2026 target: USD 2 billion

Emphasizing that they work to meet the protein needs for three meals globally, Chairman Girit said, "For 2026, while our sector's export target for Turkey as a whole is USD 5 billion, as the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association, we want to contribute USD 2 billion to this target. For this purpose, we have completed our promotional films to introduce our sectors in aquaculture, poultry meat and honey sectors. We are screening them at international trade fairs, trade delegations, and sectoral meetings. We have also started work on a promotional film for the dairy and dairy products sector. We are conducting intensive work on social media to promote Turkish fish abroad. We are continuing TURQUALITY projects in the Far East and US markets. We represent our country in international and national sectoral organizations. Over the next three years, we will actively continue with trade fairs, trade delegations, purchasing delegations, and URGE projects."

New URGE Project coming

With the support of the Ministry of Commerce, the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association has added International Competitiveness Development Projects (URGE) to its agenda—projects that enhance the competencies of exporting companies through clustering, foster a culture of joint action, and enable the organization of trade delegations targeting specific markets. Bedri Girit, Chairman of the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association, also shared with general meeting participants that they have begun work on a URGE Project aimed at promoting Turkish companies in the aquaculture and animal products sectors to markets worldwide, with the capacity to reach every point in the world. ESÜHİB forest growing The Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association, sharing its sustainability-focused work, Chairman Girit noted that over the last three years they have established 2 groves in Izmir and Afyon, where thousands of saplings were planted for companies that are export stars, and that in 2022 they would plant a thousand saplings for companies that are export stars. In addition to establishing groves, Girit, who mentioned that they have collaborated with Ege University to raise awareness in the aquaculture sector specifically regarding carbon footprint and reducing sector carbon emissions, said, "We will continue our carbon footprint measurement work within a sustainability framework in the poultry, dairy and honey sectors. We have also provided support to the 'Zero Waste Gulf Transforming Future Project' being conducted under the organization of Konak District Agriculture and Forestry Department." We mobilized to heal the wounds of the earthquake Girit also stated that following the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on 6 February that plunged Turkey into mourning, they took action like every other institution in Turkey to heal the deep wounds of the earthquake. He noted that as an association they provided TRY 500,000 in in-kind aid, their members responded with all available means to aid mobilization in the earthquake zone, and added that their assistance would continue in the coming period. At the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association's annual general meeting, the association's 2023 budget was set at TRY 48 million, and the 2023 business program was approved. The certificates of saplings planted in the grove created for 25 companies that realized the large share of USD 1.35 billion of the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association's USD 1.6 billion exports in 2022 were presented to company representatives following the general meeting. EIB Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi and ESÜHİB Chairman Bedri Girit presented appreciation plaques to Bolvadin Mayor Fatih Kayacan and Haluk Taktak, Audit Board Member of the Aegean Aquaculture and Animal Products Exporters Association, who provided significant support to the establishment of the ESÜHİB Grove.