European Heatwave Creates Opportunity for Turkish Cherry Exports
· AA Tarım & Ekonomi
Hamdi Taner, Chairman of the Uludağ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, announced that external demand and producer prices for Turkish cherries are expected to increase due to extreme heat in Europe, which has accelerated the harvest.
High Yield and Increased Quality
Hamdi Taner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Uludağ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, stated that fruit yield has recovered across Turkey this year, following last year's frost disaster. Winter dormancy for trees, efficient bee activity during pollination, and regular rainfall have elevated fruit quality to a high level. Hamdi Taner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Uludağ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, made the following statement on the matter:
"Fungal diseases were somewhat prevalent in the Çukurova and Aegean regions. Climate conditions are very important, but currently, they are favorable, and temperatures are good. Product quality is excellent. For cherries and all other products, the quality is very good. This has given us an advantage both domestically and in the countries we export to. Prices are actually much more affordable compared to last year. We hope that as a country, we will experience this advantage this year."
Export Balances in the European Market
Noting that there is also an abundance of products in the European market this season, Hamdi Taner pointed out that the price pressure experienced in June has stabilized as of July. Hamdi Taner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Uludağ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, described the market dynamics with the following words:
"Starting from Greece, and including Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and all these countries, there are many varieties of cherries and fruits. So, the advantage we are experiencing is also present in Europe, and since the countries to which we sell these products as value-added are primarily European countries, exporters faced significant difficulties in pricing exports in June, but things changed a bit starting in July."
Opportunities Provided by Climate Conditions
Taner stated that they expect higher earnings from the second half of the season after the early cherry harvest, emphasizing that the extreme heat in Europe provides an advantage to Turkish producers. Hamdi Taner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Uludağ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, made the following assessment regarding the climate impact:
"We expect the second half to be better because there has been extreme heat in Europe in recent months. Especially in countries like Spain, Italy, and France, where production is high, extreme heat has accelerated the cherry harvest. Consequently, we expect production there to finish 1-2 weeks earlier than normal. This will be an advantage for Turkey, particularly for cherries and all other products. Producer purchase prices, which have been low, need to rise. Because there is a lot of product in Europe, prices have remained at reasonable levels. We hope our producers will be able to achieve better income."
Market Diversification and Shipment Routes
Sharing details about the export geography, Association Chairman Taner stated that Turkish cherries have become prominent in the Russian market due to the decrease in production in Uzbekistan. Expressing that Europe maintains its position as a primary market, Hamdi Taner summarized the export routes with the following words:
"Russia has come to the forefront a bit this year. Due to the production deficit in Uzbekistan, a lot of product went from Turkey. Europe is our most important market. Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands are the countries we export to the most. In July, Italy came into play. Significant exports are made to Austria and Poland."
Preparations for Re-entry into the Chinese Market
Taner stated that new doors are opening in the Far East market, reporting that the Chinese delegation has completed its inspections in Turkey and that technical barriers have been overcome. Hamdi Taner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Uludağ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, said the following about the Chinese market targets:
"Due to certain tariffs imposed, the US can no longer export much cherry to China. We had made some attempts in 2019-2020, but we could not achieve the desired results in these attempts. We experienced problems with some quarantine applications. Now, those methods have been changed. With new quarantine applications, methods have been found to deliver products to China healthily. Certain studies have been conducted between ministries regarding these. They made their last visit in recent weeks. We expect to export cherries to China by the end of this year, but at the latest by next year. We hope cherry exports to China will resume."