Turkey's Food Export Target Set at $50 Billion

Turkey Targets USD 50 Billion in Food Exports Turkey, which exports USD 25 billion in food products annually, has the production and export capacity to increase food exports to USD 50 billion over the next 10-year period. Turkish farmers, who meet the protein, carbohydrate and fat needs of billions of people and bring a feast of flavors to world tables, produce 70 million tons of plant-based products annually. With livestock holdings exceeding 72 million head of cattle, they have reached annual aquaculture production volumes exceeding 800,000 tons and 2.4 million tons in the poultry sector. They produce 55 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables.

3 million hectares of agricultural land removed from production

Over the last 20 years in Turkey, 3 million hectares of agricultural land have been removed from agricultural production areas, and while global climate change has reached levels threatening production, Turkish farmers investing in technology are increasing their output and continuing to supply food to world tables. Amid the decline in agricultural land, the increase in world population makes it imperative that agricultural production rise. This necessitates increased productivity. The Aegean Exporters Associations, which account for 21.5 percent of Turkey's agricultural product exports and lead in agricultural exports, shared their views on World Farmers Day on 14 May.

"Food export target USD 50 billion"

Aegean Exporters Associations Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi: "We view exports as insurance for the continuity of agricultural production. We are in a leading position in Turkey's food exports. We rank among the world's strong producers and exporters in aquaculture, fruit and vegetable products, olives, olive oil, dried fruits, non-wood forest products and oilseeds sectors. With TURQUALITY and URGE Projects, trade fairs, sectoral trade delegations and purchasing delegations, we are accelerating efforts to increase our food exports. While maintaining our position in our traditional export markets—Europe, Middle Eastern countries and the Russian Federation—we are working to grow in the US and Japanese markets. While Turkey targets USD 50 billion in food product exports over a 10-year horizon, as the Aegean Region we will strive to achieve USD 12.5 billion of this export."

"Agricultural production will grow with specialized industrial zones"

Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman Hayrettin Uçak: "Global warming increasingly threatens production every day, and agricultural production areas are shrinking due to desertification and urbanization. Due to world population growth, we have no choice but to increase our agricultural production. Through Agriculture-Based Specialized Organized Industrial Zones where R&D activities are intensive and productivity has reached peak levels, we can ensure sustainability in agricultural production. In this way, Turkey can not only meet domestic consumption but also reach the figures targeted for food product exports in the coming years. As the fresh fruit and vegetable and processed fruit and vegetable sectors, we exported USD 5.5 billion in 2022 across Turkey. As the Aegean Region, we contributed USD 1 billion 250 million to this export. Another focal point in the agricultural sector is directing young people toward agriculture. We are also developing projects on this matter."

Işık: "Production in 11 earthquake-affected provinces must not stop"

Aegean Dried Fruit and Processed Products Exporters Association Chairman Mehmet Ali Işık: "As members of TİM Agricultural Commission, we visited the regions affected by the 6 February earthquake. These provinces are very important food storage areas for Turkey, particularly in citrus fruits, cereals, legumes, oilseeds, dried fruits, cotton, watermelons, paste peppers, dried onions, wheat, olives and olive oil. This region suffered serious losses in irrigation systems, labor, logistics and processing facilities. These losses must be remedied immediately and production must continue uninterrupted. These 11 provinces not only meet Turkey's needs but also accounted for USD 7.4 billion in exports in 2022. We must get production back on its feet in the earthquake zone. After all, food needs for 8 billion people worldwide increase by 1.3 percent annually. We can meet this need by increasing our production. There is a global trend toward healthy food. Organic production has been carried out for 35 years under the leadership of the Aegean Region in Turkey. We are working to increase demand for food products produced in Turkey globally through good agricultural practices and organic production."

Girit: "We cannot protect producers or consumers through export bans"

Aegean Aquatic Products and Animal Products Exporters Association Chairman Bedri Girit: "While Turkey is Europe's largest sea bass producer and the world's second-largest sea bass exporter, we rank first globally in sea bream production and second in sea bream exports. While ranking third globally in trout, we rank second in eggs. We rank among the world's top 10 countries in exports of all products in our product range. We help close the world's three-meal protein gap. In 2022, we exceeded USD 4 billion in exports. We cannot protect producers or consumers by imposing bans on export products. Ad hoc decisions in agricultural production always harm production and exports. In our sector, we have spent long years developing export markets. Restrictions introduced by overnight decisions put us in difficult positions in export markets while wasting our producers' efforts."

"Cereals, legumes and oilseeds lead food exports"

Aegean Cereals, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association Chairman Muhammet Öztürk: "We singlehandedly realized USD 11.2 billion of Turkey's USD 25 billion food export as the cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector. We accounted for 42 percent of Turkey's food exports. We believe that intense effort must be made to increase production of agricultural products grown in Anatolian soils, particularly vegetable oil, wheat, barley, corn and legumes, which contribute to Turkey's foreign trade deficit. If we increase our agricultural production through the right program, not only will our annual exports increase, but we believe that food imports, which stood at USD 18.6 billion at the end of 2022, will decline further."

Umur: "Virginia and burley tobacco production will increase"

Aegean Tobacco Exporters Association Chairman Ömer Celal Umur: "Turkey is the world leader in oriental tobacco production. The requirement that 30 percent of tobacco used in tobacco products manufactured in Turkey be gradually produced domestically has led to increased production of Virginia and burley-type tobacco. Particularly in Virginia-type tobacco production, we reached 10 million kilos over a three-year period. The kilogram price for oriental tobacco, which stood at TRY 35 in 2021, rose to TRY 70 in 2022. The 100 percent increase in tobacco prices created conditions for the number of producers in the Aegean Region to rise from 26,000 to 30,000. The Turkish tobacco sector concluded 2022 with export performance of USD 828.9 million, and we are targeting USD 900 million in exports in 2023. In 2022, 26,000 producers in the Aegean Region produced 37 million kilos of tobacco, while in 2023 tobacco exporting companies contracted with 30,000 producers. We expect the increase in producer numbers to have a positive effect on yields and tobacco production in the Aegean Region to rise to 45 million kilos."

"The olive sector is experiencing its golden age"

Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association Chairman Davut Er: "Turkey's olive tree stock has increased from 90 million to 192 million over the last 20 years. With 735,000 tons of table olive harvest in 2023, we have risen to world leadership, and with 422,000 tons of olive oil harvest, we have reached second place globally. We are breaking new records in exports every month. Over a six-month period, our olive oil exports reached 92,000 tons with foreign exchange equivalent of USD 407 million. We hope to see our olive and olive oil exports reach USD 1 billion by the end of the season. With recently planted olive trees coming into production, we will reach 1 million 200,000 tons in table olives and 650,000 tons in olive oil harvest. In exports, we will reach USD 1.5 billion level. Since the olive sector uses entirely domestic inputs, all added value in exports will accrue to our country. If our producers and branded exports are supported, packaged product exports will increase and Turkey will be the winner."

"We lead the world in thyme and laurel"

Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters Association Chairman Ali Fuat Gürle: "While laurel and thyme are locomotive products in Turkey's non-wood forest products, we lead the world in exports of these two products. Our Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters Association dominates the export of these two products and many non-wood forest products. There is a global trend toward avoiding salt and turning to spices. Consumers are moving toward healthy foods, and when our producers manufacture according to the expectations of consuming countries, we can produce and export 25,000 tons of thyme in the short term and 40,000 tons in the medium term. To this end, we conduct regular annual training for our farmers who grow thyme and share the matters they should prioritize in thyme production."