Despite the spring frosts damaging some of the Turkish peach production, as well as delaying it, overall production is actually above expectations, says Emel Esin Keskin, owner of Turkish fresh produce exporter Esin Tarim: “Türkiye suffered major losses due to agricultural frost this year. Peach trees were also severely damaged by this frost, and yields dropped as a result. Especially in early peach varieties, frost damage was greater than expected, and harvesting was delayed. This year, the first harvest was towards the end of June, and some varieties did not even bear fruit at all. Although we experienced problems with early varieties and the harvest was delayed, the overall yield for peaches was still above our expectations. But we’re lucky that the peach is a type of fruit that can be grown in many different Turkish cities.”
According FreshPlaza, Keskin states that Turkish peaches are grown in many regions, increasing production over the past years. “We have orchards in many different regions from Bursa to Mersin. The Bursa peach is an EU-registered product and has a significant share in the Turkish peach exports. It’s improving its position in these ranks with each passing season. Last season, more than 10 thousand tons were exported to 26 countries. Peach production in Türkiye has increased significantly in recent years, opening up new markets for us.”
Read also: New Premium Fruit in Europe?
Most of the Turkish peaches are exported to Russia, Keskin states: “Peach is a fruit that is harvested from June to September in our country. As with many other products, Türkiye’s top market for peach exports is Russia. Ukraine and the Netherlands are listed as the largest markets after Russia, and exports continue to many countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. There are some new markets we’d like to enter with our peaches, such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar.”
“This year, as in previous years, our exports continue at a rapid pace, even though transportation costs, economic difficulties, and increasing customs costs put pressure on export companies. Fresh fruit and vegetable exports are Turkey’s most important export item. Despite adverse weather conditions and rising costs, peaches had a season with positive prices that made producers and exporters happy,” Keskin concludes.
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.
