Chocolate Exports Exceed $500 Million in First Half
· AA Tarım & Ekonomi
Turkey's chocolate and cocoa products exports surpassed $500 million in the first six months of the year, continuing its upward trend in the agricultural industry.
Export Success in the First Half of the Year
According to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), the grains, pulses, oilseeds, and products sector exported a total of 5 million 290 thousand 36 tons of products to 212 countries and free zones in the January-June period. This foreign trade generated $5 billion 847 million 514 thousand in revenue for Turkey. Sunflower seeds were the highest revenue-generating item in the sector with $663 million 938 thousand, while chocolate and cocoa products ranked second with $500 million 781 thousand in export revenue.
Organized Marketing and Fairs
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, stated that organized marketing efforts are behind this success. Mehmet Yıldırım made the following assessment regarding the issue:
"Producers first procure cocoa well, process it, and turn it into chocolate and confectionery. Therefore, they achieve their sales through good work. There is an organized effort. İHBİR, in particular, works very well. It brings all producers together and takes them to fairs all over the world. Consequently, success comes from there."
Production Centers and Geographical Distribution
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, continued his remarks by referring to the quality of Turkish cocoa product manufacturing:
"Turks have started to establish a certain position in the world. There are many chocolate companies I know of in Turkey, and they have significant exports. When you make a product of quality, especially regarding food, there is no reason not to be a brand. Some standards need to be met. When you market it correctly, you become a brand not only in Turkey but also in the world."
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, also shared the following information about the regional distribution of manufacturing centers:
"95% of the firms making these exports are located in Istanbul. Additionally, there are production sites in Gaziantep and Adana."
Advantage Provided by Agricultural Raw Materials
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, noted that Turkey's agricultural strength is decisive in the production of value-added products like Dubai chocolate, stating:
"One of the reasons for Turkey's success in the production of Dubai chocolate is the advantage of raw materials. Secondly, it is marketing and quality because Antep pistachios are high quality, and kadayif is high quality. This stems from the fact that these raw materials are produced abundantly in Turkey. These also reflect in quality and sales."
Domestic agricultural products directly increase the competitive power of the final product in global markets.
Packaging Technology and Employment Growth
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, stated that the sector has made significant progress in packaging and production technologies in recent years, noting:
"Our producers have made great progress in both packaging and production in recent years. This happens entirely by traveling the world and seeing things. You see people, you see different countries, new types of packaging, new methods, and when you keep up with these, success follows."
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, continued his remarks, pointing to the growth in production capacity:
"In this situation, there will be an increase in employment and an increase in added value. That is, if production increases and sales increase, it provides significant benefits to our country."
Gastronomy Tourism and Global Branding
Mehmet Yıldırım, Chairman of the İTO Baklava, Pasta, and Confectionery Professional Committee, made the following assessment, emphasizing the importance of gastronomy tourism:
"Looking at past statistics, baklava was at the top of the things a tourist wanted to eat when they came. Kebabs followed. Gastronomy tourism has become very important in the world. People travel thousands of kilometers to taste a flavor. Especially Westerners and Americans. This needs to be evaluated well. Therefore, when you make a product well, you attract people interested in gastronomy tourism. If Turkey continues its success in chocolate and cocoa products, there is a possibility of being recognized for its chocolate after baklava and kebabs, but some perceptions are very difficult to break. For example, if Switzerland has succeeded in chocolate, you cannot easily break this perception, but you can gain a place in sales. The important thing is to continue developing this momentum. If this is done, we can establish the name 'Turkish chocolate' in the world."
Yıldırım also reported that sales in the domestic market have picked up since October.