Turkish Raisin Exports Bring Good News

Turkish Grape Exports Bring Smiles Table grape exports, one of Turkey's traditional export products, made a successful start to the 2021/22 season. Foreign currency earnings from grape exports stood at USD 63 million in the 1 January – 14 September 2020 period, rising to USD 77 million in the same period of 2021, representing a 21% increase. Turkey's table grape exports also advanced by 32% in volume terms, from 54,665 tonnes to 72,000 tonnes.

Preferred Grape Variety: Sultani Seedless Grape

Sultani seedless grape became the first choice worldwide. Sultani seedless grape exports rose from USD 38.8 million to USD 53.7 million, a 38% increase. Hayrettin Uçak, Chairman of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, noted that sultani seedless grapes accounted for 70% of Turkey's table grape exports, stating that they had experienced a successful season in table grape exports. The Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association held its September Board Meeting in Alaşehir, one of the major table grape production centers, at the Alaşehir Chamber of Commerce. Uçak stated that Turkey produces a wide variety of table grapes and distributes taste and health to the world, saying: "In 2020, table grape exports brought Turkey a total of USD 158 million in export revenue. We are progressing with confidence toward our export target of USD 200 million for 2021. Besides Sultani seedless grapes, Superior grapes, particularly favored by diabetics, ranked second with export earnings of USD 6.6 million. Yalova Pearl reached USD 2.7 million, Razaki grapes USD 1.5 million, and Red Globe grapes USD 1.4 million in exports," he said. Sharing information that Turkey exported table grapes to 49 countries in 2021, Chairman Uçak emphasized that the Russian Federation was the top export market with USD 42.7 million, a traditional export destination. Uçak concluded his remarks: "Ukraine demanded USD 12.2 million worth of Turkish grapes, while we exported USD 4.2 million to Germany, USD 4.1 million to Belarus, and USD 2.6 million to Romania."