Imported Mangoes Pressure Alanya Producers
· GıdaTarım
As mango harvesting continues in Turkey, low-priced produce from Egypt, marketed under local labels with high profit margins, is drawing protests from Alanya's growers.
Imported Mangoes and Price Pressure
While mango harvesting is underway in Turkey, producers in Alanya are complaining about low-priced produce from Egypt being marketed domestically under local labels. Ali Hüddoğlu, Chairman of the Tropical Fruits Producers Association, states that Egyptian mangoes are traded at 60 lira per kilogram in the Alanya Wholesale Market, while some supermarkets sell them under the guise of local produce with price tags reaching 200-300 lira. Emphasizing that local producers incur high input costs, Hüddoğlu demands import limitations and a QR code tracking system during the harvest season. Enes Çelik, who is involved in mango production and trade, notes that the wholesale price of local mangoes varies between 150-200 lira per kilogram depending on quality.
Logistics Process and Quality Difference
Producer Enes Çelik explains that imported mangoes are harvested early to withstand long shipping conditions, and the products reach Turkey in approximately 20-25 days through warehousing, shipping, and customs processes. Çelik points out that imported fruits, picked before ripening, lead to a loss of flavor for consumers, while local mangoes offer superior aroma and taste due to being ripened and harvested on the tree. Producers stress that early-harvested imported products entering the market during the harvest period disrupt competition and call for increased inspections to protect local crops.